


The Sea and Stars

by WriterandArtist27



Series: Starry Sky [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Healing from trauma, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Kingdom Hearts References, Lots of Anime/Video Game references, Lots of Canon Questioning, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Parents As People, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Canon, Recursive Fanfiction, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Third Shinobi War, Written with Permission from Lang and Beta, Yugioh GX References, cursing, implied verbal abuse, lots of hugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 13:06:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 194,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16096289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterandArtist27/pseuds/WriterandArtist27
Summary: FF-Net Summary: Reincarnation usually was a one-time deal. But what if two reincarnated people, coming from the same world, ended up crossing paths? This is a story about a ninja swordsman and a civilian pianist. They shouldn't have met, yet somehow did. Hijinks ensue, with much sarcasm and lots of hugs.A Catch Your Breath and Civilian Pianist crossover.Cross-Posted for more accessibility and discussion.Originally Posted on FF-Net on 7/9/2017. Mature Rating only for cursing and implied sexual assault and verbal abuse through flashbacks.





	1. Wayfinder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer/Announcements:
> 
> So, first up, I don't own anything. All I do claim ownership to is Tomoko, my Self-Insert OC from Civilian Pianist, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. In fact, that's all that is really under my name because the other elements in this fic in particular are crossover elements.
> 
> So for those who have read the summary or not, this is a crossover fanfiction with Lang Noi and Beta's famous Catch Your Breath. It was actually thanks to them that I got the inspiration to write this crossover, and full kudos. I don't think this would've ever gotten onto a document or the Internet as a whole without them being as supportive as they were when I private messaged them about the idea. Please go and read Catch Your Breath if you can before this, because it's amazing. To me, best Naruto fanfic heads down.
> 
> Just note that this fanfic is more an alternate side-story if anything. It's not canon since Catch Your Breath and Civilian Pianist are essentially in two different parallel universes at this point of publication, so this story really just explores the idea of Kei and Tomoko meeting when they're the same age and hitting it off from there.
> 
> Anyways, the theme for this chapter is actually Kyle Landry's cover of Kairi from Kingdom Hearts. Tomoko does actually play this song for Kei, alongside Kyle's other covers of Traverse Town and Lazy Afternoons, in that order, so please check them out on YouTube!
> 
> Aside from that, sit back, relax, and please enjoy!

_Chapter 1: Wayfinder_

It was supposed to be another day at Nagareboshi Cafe. At least, another normal day for the 6 year old pianist I officially was. 

I guess I’ll fill you in. I’m Hoshino Tomoko, the main pianist at Nagareboshi Cafe and the reincarnation of a dead 18 year old college student. I live in Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves as a civilian, catering to whoever comes to our doors. Whether it is a fellow civilian or a ninja. 

That’s right. Ninja. If the name ‘Konoha’ didn’t ring a bell, then you probably don’t know my situation. 

But yes. When my past self died, she, or _I_ , reincarnated into the _Naruto-verse_ of all things.

I wasn’t expecting it to end up like that. In fact, what shocked me even more was the fact that I remembered _everything_ from my past life, whether that included my old parents’ faces or the fact that my past self _read_ the original Naruto manga. Sure, she did skip out on some episodes of the anime due to the _massive_ amounts of filler, but that’s not the point.

I never heard of a reincarnated person coming into a world that they once knew as fictional _with_ all their memories to boot. Reincarnation wasn’t supposed to work that way. Last I checked, Buddhism said that reincarnation meant _losing_ those memories, not holding onto them like glue.

But, somehow, it happened.

I was reborn as Hoshino Tomoko with all of my past self’s—Vy’s—memories intact.

And it was really horrifying to realize all that—especially when I got that first glimpse of the Hokage Monument.

…I’m kinda grateful I didn’t bawl my new parents’ eardrums out. Even if my high-pitched voice transferred between lives too.

But a few years have passed since then, and I think I’ve finally found a routine for myself to at least act ‘normal.’

Even when I first discovered my pianist ability to be rather ‘abnormal,’ if I could put it that way. 

Reincarnation was already weird enough. But being able to play any song from pure memory alone on the piano without _any_ instruction? Even with tiny, three-year-old hands?

I still find it to be contrived spiritual bullshit, if I could be so generous. But I still had the ability anyways. And considering that my chakra senses were literally null, why not use it?

The environment was there. Mama played violin, Papa played cello, and they were the co-owners of a music-centered cafe that ran for both ninja and civilian consumers.

So why not take center stage with them? Even as Vy, helping people out was something I wanted to do for a long time. I was just hoping that I could balance those two sides of society with my new ability in the process. Civilians always seemed to get the short end of the stick in canon in understanding their ninja counterparts, but I was hoping to open more awareness on it. Somehow.

I just wasn’t expecting my first shinobi customer to face almost the exact same situation I was in.

* * *

 

It was around 4-5 in the afternoon that I saw her walk in through the front doors.

…Even though initially I didn’t _know_ she was a girl. The entire image made it out to be quite… androgynous (I think - I never did get to fully know the term on a regular basis until now), and Vy had her fair share of run-ins with the LGTBQIA+ community back then for me to know that making assumptions wasn’t the best idea.

Tufty, black hair, messy enough to frame her somewhat wide face.

Visible eye bags underneath her already dark, scowling eyes.

Adding in a purple hoodie, what appeared to be gray shinobi pants, and the obvious shinobi-open-toed sandals, I knew this person was aiming to be a ninja.

The only thing that really concerned me for a second was that this person was the spitting image of someone I _knew_ wasn’t adult-aged yet.

_…I’m not seeing another Gekkō Hayate around now, am I?_

Unfortunately, they noticed that I was staring at them, turning their head in my direction almost immediately.

 _Ack!_ Without even thinking, I instinctively turned away to focus on the piano keys underneath my hands, playing whatever song that could take my mind off my blunder.

Strangely, my mind immediately went to the _Pokémon Center_ theme. I guess video games can have a huge influence when you play them a lot as a kid. A part of me was honestly expecting to play something _Kingdom Heart_ s-related, considering it was the first game that I knew was a video game, but whatever.

The familiar tune at least helped get the tension out of my shoulders _and_ head.

It was only when the last note was played that I could hear the sound of a chair being pulled over next to me.

“Hey,” a new voice said.

I made sure to put on my best smile before turning around.

And then that smile fell off its rocker almost immediately.

_Oh dear._

The person I was _just_ staring at was _now_ sitting right in front of me! Tufty black hair, eye bags, and all!

I didn’t even realize I was gaping that badly until they waved a hand in front of my face.

“Hello? Anybody there?” they continued.

Once reality hit me, I found myself stuttering just to get some composure back. “O-Oh! I-I-I…Um…just a second.” In my haste, I forced myself to shake my head with enough force for my bangs to hit my face. For good measure, I made sure to slap my cheeks extra hard. Then, it was taking some time to just breathe.

I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I felt nervous just being in the _presence_ of this person. Maybe it was because they were at least a centimeter or two taller than me? Or was it the messy hair and eye bags that just screamed _‘intimidation—do_ **_not_ ** _disturb?!’_

I didn’t know what to think, and instead pushed whatever panic I was feeling to the back of my head to focus on them, wiping my sweaty hands on my skirt. “Um…sorry about that.”

A part of me was _really_ hoping that they wouldn’t be commenting on the red tomato that was my face now.

Thankfully, the person in front of me just blinked before smiling sheepishly in a rather crooked grin. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Er…” I took another breath. This wasn’t a good way to start the conversation. I was the main pianist, darn it! I have to be a bit more composed than this! In the end, I found myself sighing. “…By chance, is this your first time here?” I ended up asking slowly.

They blinked again before nodding. “Do I have to pay you to play something?”

Now it was my turn to blink questionably. Then, a more relieved smile came onto my face. “Nah, you don’t have to pay me anything. The next song will be on the house.”

“…Huh?” They said, expression morphing into the deadest of deadpan faces I had ever seen. The eye bags and messy hair just added to the rather cute and hilarious image.

I ended up giggling. “My personal rule is to always do a freebie for a new customer. And…” In exasperation, I found myself shaking my head to get the blush out of my face. “I did mess up a bit in front of you. So I have to make it up.”

My new customer was looking _really_ perplexed now. “You—You didn’t do anything that bad, though.”

“Yeah, but no.” I interjected with a polite and shy tone all at once. “I should’ve been more aware that you were coming by and acted more courteous. Not…” The familiar heat of embarrassment was already flooding my face, so I had to look away. “Not panic like that in front of you.”

“High standard for a civilian, no?” They deadpanned in a flat tone.

I just shrugged. “It’s my standard, at least. I…” A sigh involuntarily left me at the thought. “I don’t think I’m that normal anyways.”

_Considering how I came to be in the first place._

There was a pause. And then…

“…Normal’s overrated.”

_Did they just say…what I think they said?_

I looked up at them, and those same baggy eyes had a glint of something warm in them. I couldn’t really identify it as happiness or kindness, but it was something that made the tension in my heart ease off at least a little bit.

Without even thinking, I offered my hand to them for a handshake, smiling. 

“Well, I’m Hoshino Tomoko, your pianist at Nagareboshi Cafe for today. What’s your name?”

The person blinked again, staring at my hand for a few moments in what I knew was confusion before accepting the gesture.

And the first thing I registered was that they had a pretty tight grip. Adding in the rather calloused fingers and palms, it felt like this person really was going to be powerful one day.

My new customer smiled again, this time giving a little less lopsided and more straightforward of a grin. “I’m Keisuke. Gekkō Keisuke. You can call me Kei, if you want.”

I was honestly grateful that I didn’t immediately _freak_ at hearing Hayate’s surname.

Then again, we were having a moment, and it didn’t feel right to interrupt.

It just feels a bit ridiculous knowing that the moment was later broken by my _curiosity of all things._ Once the handshake was done and over with, I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Um…so Kei-san?” I tried.

The customer now dubbed as Kei just frowned at me again. “Too formal.”

“…Kei-kun?” I tried again.

This time, they nodded firmly.

“…Before we move on, I’m guessing ‘Kei-chan’ is out of the question?” I asked sheepishly.

There was another pause. Kei looked more perplexed if anything at my sudden line of thought, raising an eyebrow before glancing at the piano for a few seconds. “I don’t really mind that too much,” they mumbled.

Now the curiosity was just eating at me. “Okay then, I’ll just go with ‘Kei-kun’ now. But er…” _Shit._ Why. Was. I. Stuttering. Again?!

They just glanced at me.

 _Ugh._ I just went with it. “B-By chance, Kei-kun, are you a boy or a girl~?!”

I wasn’t even intending for my voice to go that high in terms of pitch. It was just a simple question—but I think it’s just Vy’s old experiences talking that made it so hard. She did have a transgender friend of her own back then, and the way the friendship ended…wasn’t pretty to be honest.

Still, I blame my emotions for getting ahead of me to the point of making my voice this way, and I couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful for the fact that Papa had already turned the privacy seals on near the piano.

Because Kei was already wincing and holding a hand towards their ear from my little outburst. “… _Ow,_ really?”

Red hot shame was already shooting through my veins like fire. “I-I’m sorry! I-It’s just…” Oh no. Before I even knew it, I was starting to babble, hands literally waving around in the air because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. “I-I wasn’t fully sure, and I didn’t want to offend you or anything!”

“Tomoko-san.”

“I-I’ve met people who appeared as one gender only to identify as another, and thenthere’sthosewhowanttotransition, andthenthere’speoplewhoareagender—”

“Tomoko-san.”

“Nottomentionthere’salsobinarypeople, soyouhavetobecarefulaboutyourpronouns, andI’vehadmyfairshareofcomplaints, so—”

“ _Tomoko-san_ !” The sound of my name immediately snapped me out of it, and I looked up only to see Kei give me an expression caught between a frown and a grin. “It’s _fine_. And I’m a girl.”

“…Oh?” I gaped.

_Why in all heck did I not see it sooner?!_

Kei was now openly grinning. “Tomoko-san, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Even with that said in the open, I still couldn’t wipe the heavy blush on my face. Still somewhat stunned, I turned away to pout. “I-It’s kinda hard _not_ to worry when you serve a bunch of customers every day and you have to be as respectful as you can…That was just horrible on my part.”

Kei was still smiling at me as she just shrugged. “But hey. It’s really okay.”

I sighed before turning back to look at her. “…I guess I owe you a full concert now, Kei-kun.”

Her grin immediately disappeared for another flat look. “…Wait, what?”

I found myself sighing again. “By now, I’ve messed up about two times in front of you already - not to mention we’re in _public_ —so adding in my normal freebie rule, you now have a total of a small, 15 minute concert under your belt, Kei-kun. Free of charge.”

Kei was still giving me that same, flat look as her hands folded themselves in her lap. “…But Tomoko-san, I didn’t _do_ anything.”

At this point, I just felt tired and exasperated with my own incompetence and instead opted for a sheepish smile. “But _I_ did, and I want to make it up to you, Kei-kun, okay? Just…” Now I was wondering if I was pushing the ninja-civilian boundary a bit too much, but nonetheless asked. “Just call me Tomoko, okay? ‘Tomoko-san’ makes me feel weird.”

“Then call me Kei,” she retorted back. 

 _Pfft._ Kei was starting to remind me of someone, but I still smiled at her anyways. “Deal.”

“So, what can I request you to play then, Tomoko?”

Ooh, here comes the fun part. I was finally starting to feel comfortable too, so I shrugged. “Just give me a phrase, and then I’ll improvise!”

The deadpan, almost sarcastic tone was almost becoming a common occurrence in this conversation. “Does that even work?”

I grinned at her. “Trust me, and you’ll find out, alright?”

Kei raised another eyebrow at me before sighing herself. “Could I get something peaceful then? It’s been a long day.”

 _Hopefully it wasn’t made longer because of me._ I found myself thinking.

Outwardly, I just smiled again before turning towards the familiar black and white keys. “Alright then—one peaceful concert, coming up!”

The choice couldn’t be any more perfect in my mind. _Kingdom Hearts_ was always a safe haven for Vy when she was little, and it ended up being the source of my beginnings as Tomoko.

Why would this be any different?

Throughout the whole performance, even with my hands constantly moving and pressing keys, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and recall some of Vy’s memories.

A spiky, brown-haired boy wearing what could be the equivalent of Mickey Mouse’s original outfit tailored more towards combat, using a giant Key to fight for the sake of finding his friends. More specifically, a red haired girl with bright blue eyes.

And then, that boy, landing in a town that he didn’t know about after certain doom. He ended up discovering new friends in that dark, strangely lit town, and a purpose for himself.

And then a year later. Another boy, this time with spiky blonde hair, spending the last days of his summer vacation in a town filled with sunset-like colors.

 _Kairi. Traverse Town. Lazy Afternoons._ The song names rolled through my mind almost mournfully, and I had to push the sentiments back if it meant concentrating on the music.

Kei was still sitting next to me, and I had to fulfill the song requests I put up on myself for her.

Even with my hands constantly on the move, it felt like I was sitting at that piano bench for an eternity. The music, as well as the constant presence of Kei next to me, were the only things keeping me awake, and even then I found myself caught up in the serenity of each note.

A part of me wanted this kind of peace to last forever. 

However, I had to stop soon. And once Twilight Town had its final hurrah on the piano strings, I exhaled slowly before opening my eyes and turning around to face my new customer. 

What I saw wasn’t what I was expecting.

Unlike the peaceful expression I had, Kei looked as though she had seen a _ghost_ , judging by the wide whites of her eyes and the lines on her face.

Um…what?

I blinked. “Uh…is everything okay, Kei?” I found myself asking dully.

She blinked herself before shaking her head vigorously, and I didn’t need to ask to know that wasn’t her way of responding to my question. With the way she was moving, it was as though she was trying to wake up from something.

But what?

When Kei looked up at me again, what escaped her mouth next ended up freezing whatever tranquility I had from the concert in its tracks.

_“Tomoko, I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real? Or not?”_

I didn’t even have to think on her question to know what she was implying.

Kei _knew_ Kingdom Hearts well enough if she could say _that._

So then…could she be…?

I ended up gaping for a moment. 

The girl next to me inhaled slowly before looking up at me again with determined, dark orbs. “… _Is this real to you?”_ Kei said.

The tears were already starting to bubble in my eyes as the words left me without any extra thought.

_“It’s real to me.”_

There was someone else aside from me who knew what was going on.

There was someone just like me — who was reincarnated into this world too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: …Well, here comes a huge side project I was not expecting to do. But this idea was lingering in my head for so long, and adding in Lang and Beta's active support that I received in a previous message, I went with it.
> 
> This chapter is specifically dedicated to Lang and Beta themselves, because I wouldn't have come up with the courage to write this without your help. Thank you very much!
> 
> For everyone else following me so far, I hope you'll enjoy this! I'll try to update periodically, but honestly, this is just a side project. Not sure how long it will go, but we'll see!


	2. How to Get Tension Out Quick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer/Announcements: So I don’t think I need to repeat this, but for the sake of any copyright, I’ll say it briefly. I don’t own anything or anybody in this crossover EXCEPT Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. 
> 
> …I just can’t help but feel really grateful to Lang and Beta for letting me bring Kei along for the ride. Thank you both again.
> 
> Anyways, the theme for this chapter is actually the MIDORI ORGEL’s cover of Connect from Puella Magi Madoka Magica—you can find it on both iTunes and YouTube (the specific YouTube video being under the name ✭DetectiveYouTube✭). Considering the situation that Tomoko and Kei were just thrown into, I found that this theme really suited the quiet tension they found themselves in by the end of the previous chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 2: How to Get Tension Out Quick_

Here’s a quick question to those of you who are curious.

How do you go about getting rid of tension?

Now that can be a difficult question for anybody depending on the situation. But for once, I think the situation I was in was a rare case.

Especially when hearing one of the most iconic quotes from my favorite video games echoed back at me from my first official shinobi customer.

 _“Tomoko,_ _I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real? Or not? Is this real to you?”_

It should’ve been impossible. _One_ strange case of reincarnation alone should’ve could come out with chances of one-in-a-million. Actually _meeting_ someone with almost the exact case as me nearly brought me to tears because it was so _rare_.

And yet Gekkō Keisuke was right here, sitting _right in front of me_ , dark eyes swirling with sympathy and some other emotions I couldn’t recognize when looking at me.

I ended up having to wipe my eyes with my kimono sleeve before looking back at her with a shaky smile. “W-We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

Kei blinked before grinning sheepishly herself. “…Yeah, we do.”

I took in a shaky breath to compose myself before standing up from the piano bench. “I-Is it okay if you could wait here, Kei? I-I’ll need to ask my parents for my break.”

Kei blinked again before her smile turned a bit more sympathetic. “Sure.”

I held back any urge to hug her right at that moment to instead dash into the back of Nagareboshi Cafe to find Mama and Papa.

I couldn’t let this day finish without getting to know Kei first. Without getting to the bottom of things first.

* * *

Once Mama and Papa consented to me taking it easy for an hour or two (which made me wonder if the decision was influenced by my red-rimmed eyes), I made sure to run back out towards the stage. Thankfully, Kei was still sitting there, right next to the piano bench, slumped in her chair with her arms crossed against her chest.

If I didn’t know any better, it would’ve looked like she was sleeping with her rather peaceful expression. Her eye bags in particular didn’t look as prominent in that position, almost a faded, light grey color on her face now.

I tried to approach slowly out of the worry that she actually _was_ asleep. “K-Kei?”

Thankfully, one lone, dark eye slowly opened to look at me before she gave me another lopsided grin. “Hey.”

The grin she was giving me almost immediately wiped out any panic in my mind, actually aiding in a nervous smile of my own. “H-Hey, yourself. How do you feel about talking in my room? I have a few hours to spare." 

Kei blinked again before raising her arms to stretch, straightening her back against her chair before looking at me again. “That’s fine. I have a bit of time myself.”

And then Kei stood up. I held back any urge to gulp, because once again, I was the short one out of the two of us. Even as Vy, I was an average short person by Asian female standards, but as Tomoko? It felt somewhat like a repeat, even though I was only 6 and still had plenty of time to grow. Kei had at least an inch or two above me in terms of height, so I only really reached her nose, but that didn’t make it feel any better.

Without even realizing it, I sighed.

Kei blinked. “What is it?”

 _Oops._ Stunned, I stuttered a little bit before looking up at her. “Sorry about that, I-I just couldn’t help but notice how you’re taller than me.”

Kei raised an eyebrow at me while putting a hand on her hip. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No…I just hate that I’m short.” I said slowly, clearly feeling a ‘moping’ moment coming on as I hung my head. Now I could understand why Edward Elric hated being short. But I _drank_ my milk! “Everybody I’ve met so far is _literally_ taller than me.”

There was a pause. And then, to my surprise, I could feel a hand rest on top of my head. When I looked up, Kei was giving me another lopsided grin. “Don’t worry.” That same hand went on to ruffle my hair a bit. Even though we had just met, it felt surprisingly nice. “You have a lot of time to grow up. Now, where are we headed to?”

A giggle left me at the gesture before I motioned to the swinging doors behind me. “Right through the back doors and up the stairs. I hope you don’t mind the way my house is.”

Kei blinked again before giving me that same, small grin, taking her hand back. “It’s not too bad, so no worries.”

I was just hoping once we got inside, it wouldn’t be too tense for us to have a conversation.

* * *

…Apparently I spoke too soon.

Once we got inside my room, with the cushions set out and everything, an awkward silence blanketed us almost immediately. I found myself fidgeting out of habit because silences _suck._  

More so because I was wondering whether or not to say something first.

Kei was sitting in front of me, arms crossed and legs folded underneath her in a position that looked rather stiff and uncomfortable, even with the provided cushion, and judging by her stony expression, she might as well have been sulking if I didn’t know any better. Her eyes were closed, eyebrows almost furrowed in a way that hinted at some kind of emotional conflict, but I didn’t know what it was.

A few seconds passed before my patience was running a little short.

It always seemed to be me who started all the eggshell walking.

“…So, how should we start this?” I said dully.

Kei opened her eyes to look at me for a moment before uncrossing her arms. “…How about re-introductions?” she suggested firmly.

For some reason, I felt a sense of dread, but forced myself to take a deep breath before continuing. “Okay then. Well, I’m Hoshino Tomoko, pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe. That much is true. But…” A soft sigh left me before I looked up at her again. “As you’ve guessed, I’m as much of a reincarnation as you.”

Immediately, Kei straightened her posture as her gaze almost literally zeroed in on me. “How much do you remember?”

Another sigh left me as I averted my eyes, my heart finding the nearby wall to be a bit more interesting. The memories were flooding me again, and I didn’t want to cry now. Instead, I did my best to wipe my sweaty palms against my skirt before opening my mouth to answer. “…Literally, almost everything. Including how I died.”

It was as though a chill blanketed the room. I wasn’t sure if it was really the right thing to say, but it was the truth. 

Even though I was Tomoko for about 6 years now, Vy’s death still felt like yesterday.

Before I could think any more on the subject, I found myself jumping at the sudden feeling of a hand lightly touching mine. When looking up, I could only see Kei’s dark eyes staring at me with sympathy.

When did she get so close?

Kei paused for a moment, clear hesitation in her eyes before she opened her mouth. “What happened?”

My heart was clenching on itself far too tightly to come up with a long answer, so I shortened my initial thoughts. “…Car crash. It…It caught me when I wasn’t looking.” Just saying the _words_ hurt, and— _oh no_. “I-I…” I could already feel the tears bubbling in my eyes again, but I was too frozen to even move, opting only to hang my head again. “I-I…”

The only indications that Kei was listening was her soft breathing and the feeling of her hand squeezing mine reassuringly.

It was nice, but…

_Her hand reminded me of Mom._

My mind only made it worse because it started to echo Mom’s last words.

The _last_ things I heard before I metaphorically drowned in my own blood.

_“Be Vy! Please stay with us! Don’t go!”_

I swallowed the lump in my throat back to speak again. “I was only 18…” Was the whisper that left me before the tears started to flow.

The old faces were already swirling in front of my mind’s eye to the point of no return.

“…This wasn’t really where I was intending this conversation to go.” The sudden voice made me look up, and all I could see through the tears was a blurry Kei apparently rubbing the back of her neck with her other hand while looking at me with clear remorse and sympathy. “I’m sorry about bringing such a bad subject up, Tomoko.”

I shook my head almost immediately. “N-No, it’s my fault.” A shaky sniffle left me before I forced myself to breathe deeply.

 _Huff._ In. _Huff._ Out.

_Push all that away for another day…!_

Note to everyone else—don’t imitate this coping method. It’s not healthy.

My other hand that wasn’t occupied by Kei instinctively went up to wipe at my eyes again with my kimono sleeve. Once the last, frustrating tear was gone, I could refocus on Kei again, the cleared vision making it easier to see her tufty black hair and small mole underneath her left eye, shaky grin on my lips. “I-I’m sorry about that, Kei.”

Kei just gave me a small smile back, that same hand squeezing mine softly. “Nah, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

“A-Alright…” I made sure to breathe again before saying something. “S-So…yeah. I don’t know why, but I’m here. Memories and all.”

A pause. “…Well, change a few details, and then it’s the same for me.” Kei finished, and my head shot up only to see her face take on a more mournful expression, dark eyes becoming even more darker than possible. “I’m Gekkō Keisuke, older sister to Gekkō Hayate and also a reincarnation. I…well, past me,” She emphasized with a soft swing of her other hand. “Died when she was 20. I…I generally don’t want to talk about it that much.”

I could swear that my heart stopped at that statement alone.

Kei…looked sad. Even with her tufty black hair shading her eyes and the straight posture she was taking on, she looked almost _tragic_.  

As if she was shouldering _the entire world_ all by herself.

And I knew I couldn’t stand for that.

In fact, I couldn’t stop myself from asking at that point. The words came out before I could even stop them. “Kei, are you okay with me hugging you?”

Kei blinked before turning her head so quickly to where her bangs slapped her cheeks. “Why are you asking all of a sudden?” 

Heat flooded my face almost instantly. It wasn’t every day that someone decided to question my hugs, and the sudden question ended up throwing me off. A proper analogy would probably be if I was riding a horse and he decided to be frisky _and_ throw me off the saddle. That’s how it felt.

“I-I…um…” I averted my eyes before continuing. “It just looked like you were handling a lot more than me.” I said honestly, inhaling shakily before looking at her again. “A-And I’ve always been a hugger, so, um…is it okay?”

She blinked again before turning away for a second. “…Okay, just no tackles.” Was the resounding mumble. I didn’t miss the minute crack in her voice.

Without even questioning it, I nearly leapt off my cushion and over the few inches of distance to wrap my arms around her neck. I did my best to not make it a tackle, but nonetheless, I could feel Kei reeling from the shock for a few moments.

 _“Oof_ … Tomoko, I thought I said no tackles,” she mumbled dryly, almost lazily if we could describe it like that.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered back absently.

 _Mochi._ Unconsciously, I found myself breathing in her scent deeply. _Kei smells like ink and mochi._

It felt strange and yet familiar all at once.

Tough, almost skinny arms quickly wrapped around my waist. “…Tomoko?” Kei’s voice tickled my ear.

I found myself sighing out of sadness and relief all at once. “W-We’re really hopeless, aren’t we?”

 _Being botched reincarnations and all._ My mind finished.

Another pause, this one a bit more cozy, passed before Kei spoke again. Her voice had a hint of a smile this time, and I didn’t miss the soft squeeze she gave me in response. “…Yeah, I guess we are. But similar minds, or in this case, _souls,_ think alike, don’t they?”

I pulled away from the hug only to see Kei’s lopsided grin again. And for some reason, seeing that alone made me feel like I was at the top of my game. A smile of my own, this one more solid instead of shaky, came across my face. “Y-Yeah, they do.”

Kei sighed herself before sitting back and letting me go, dark eyes softening. “Well, we’ve just established that death is basically _shit_ , so what now?”

 _Pfft._ I hid a giggle at the curse word before formulating a response. “Honestly, I was just wondering what you are going to do now, Kei.”

The (possibly) future ninja blinked. “What makes you ask that?”

I shrugged with uncertainty. “Judging by your appearance, I don’t think you’ll be sitting around with everything that might happen in the future, right?”

To my surprise, Kei crossed her arms and grumbled, slouching significantly in her cushion.

“Uh…did I hit a nerve?” I tried slowly.

_Please tell me I didn’t just anger someone who has the power to kill me._

Kei had this frustrated look on her face before turning to me with a bit more of an apologetic gaze. “Not exactly. But…” She closed her eyes before sighing rather animatedly. “I do plan on becoming a ninja.” 

That was my first alarm bell. I held back any semblance of panic to just breathe and ask. “…Why, Kei?”

I made sure to leave some words out in my mind instead of speaking it aloud.

_Why risk your life out there when you’ve already died once before?_

Kei just stared at me for a moment before sighing. “Tomoko, you should know just as much as I do what will happen to my little brother if we don’t do anything.” 

_Oh no._

A shaky breath left me. “…It’s about Hayate-kun, isn’t it?”

Gekkō Hayate’s original death in the Chunin Exams Arc of canon was already tragic enough. But yet here I was, sitting in front of his new older sister, clearly, _visibly_ suffering from just the _thought_ of it happening.

Kei nodded, and I didn’t miss how her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap. “Before, he was just a minor character. But now?” Her skin, specifically around her hands, was starting to turn red from how much she was tensing up. “I-I can’t let it happen. I can’t…” She gulped down a lump of her own before continuing. “Hayate… _Haa-chan_ just recently started getting treatment for his bad coughs. A-And before he could even get help, I…”

I bit my lip a little bit. Whether it was from the tension in the air or my own heart clenching in sympathy, I didn’t know. “…Kei, you don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.” 

To my surprise, she fiercely shook her head, bangs hitting her face again before looking at me with determined dark orbs. And I was rendered speechless at how much _emotion_ was in them.

Kei was absolutely serious about this.

Even if I tried to say something, I knew her mind was already set.

“Tomoko, back then, I was _useless._ ” Kei hissed, dark eyes darker than any hue I had seen today.  I didn’t miss the small tendrils of anger seeping into her voice. “My little brother was suffering, and I couldn’t do _jack shit._ There’s no way in all _hell_ am I giving up the chance of protecting him.”

 _How could I compare to that?_ was all I could think in that moment.

Me, a reincarnated girl, choosing to be a civilian instead? 

Kei looked more like a hero than Vy ever _imagined_ she could become.

Instead of voicing it, I exhaled slowly before nodding. “…Alright, Kei, I get it. And I know that by looking at you, I can’t stop you.”

It was as if a spell had worn off her, because as soon as it was said, the anger in Kei’s eyes disappeared in exchange for what appeared to be remorse as she lurched back into her cushion with slow, almost tentative movements. She wasn’t looking into my eyes, actually hanging her head, but I could tell that she was still listening to me. “…Sorry about that outburst, Tomoko.” Kei mumbled.

A smile rose up on my face almost immediately as I reached over to touch her hand softly. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed because she looked up at me almost immediately, dark eyes wide with surprise. “Kei, it’s fine. You were talking about something you were passionate about, so there’s no need to say sorry.”

The future shinobi didn’t say a word, only really openly gaping at me.

To break the tension, I found myself cracking a small joke. “And I thought apologizing was going to be my thing.”

Kei blinked. Then her face took on another flat, deadpan expression. “…So wait, are you going to be apologizing every second you mess up?”

 _Pfft-ha._ I held back another giggle to instead hug her again.

Honestly, people need to be hugged more often. At least, that’s how I feel. I know some people don’t like the gesture for their reasons, and I won’t question it. I just know that from my time as Vy, hugs were the best way to convey my feelings, whether it was to Mom, Dad.

Or even Leo.  

I just hope Kei saw through mine.

“…Hugs don’t answer the question, Tomoko.” Kei muttered, but I didn’t miss how her arms wrapped around my waist again in a warm squeeze.

I just pulled away to give her a smile. “I know, but since you’ve already explained your reasoning, it’s about time I explain mine, alright?”

Kei blinked before letting me go with a raised eyebrow. “Alright then, explain whatever away.”

I had half the urge to just laugh at the dry tone she was using, but it was my turn.

Kei explained her part. Now I had to explain mine.

I sat back into my cushion with a long sigh, folding my hands in my lap. “…Well, I can at least say right now that I won’t be becoming a ninja.”

The future shinobi blinked at me before biting her lip for a moment. “Why, Tomoko?”

The memories swarmed my head at that very moment.

Mom from back then, gently telling me to not overwork myself.

Dad, always reminding me not to worry so much and that everything was going to be alright.

Jerry, my brother, bluntly telling me that I needed to get a social life.

And Leo. My former boyfriend, who would always look out for me, whether on the phone or in person.

I just looked at Kei with the softest smile I could muster. “Honestly, if I became a ninja, that would be defying everything I’ve learned in my past life so far.”

Kei raised an eyebrow at me in confusion.

I could only really muster a measly shrug. “I-I’m not sure how to put this, but after everything from back then, I don’t think my being a ninja will really help anybody. I’ve gone through my fair share of iffy stuff back then, and I don’t think the ninja forces need more traumatized people." 

Kei winced before nodding almost eagerly. “You’re not wrong on that.”

And then here came the disappointing part. I just looked at the nearby wall again before sighing for what felt like the millionth time. This was becoming a long day. “…Not to mention, my chakra sense is absolute _bullshit_. Even if Papa was a retired ninja, I don’t think he passed the genes onto me.” A self-deprecating laugh left me at this point. “All I really have is this ability to play any song from my old memories on the piano. And…” For some reason, nervousness ran through me at the simple thought of voicing my main reasons for being the pianist I was. It wasn’t something I just told _anyone_ , and even Mama and Papa didn’t fully know why. 

But this was different.

For once, I could talk to someone who had gone through similar things as me, and how could I pass that up?

Holding a lot of things in is _not_ good for anyone.  

“And…?” Kei said slowly.

A blush was slowly coming onto my cheeks again. I did my best to ignore the incoming heat in order to continue talking. “…The me back then wasn’t able to help her loved ones in their times of need,” I said quietly. “I’m hoping that as Tomoko, I can do that at least.”

Kei blinked before frowning at me. “Music isn’t going to solve every problem in the world, you know,” she replied gently.

“I know,” I answered immediately, raising my head to look into her eyes. “But it’s better than nothing. And with therapy being almost nonexistent here, I might as well take up the helm, right?”

Kei blinked at me again, giving me the equivalent of a strange look. And then, to my surprise, she laughed. It wasn’t a big, loud one. If anything, it was a casual laugh, a level higher than your average chuckle.

But even then, hearing it made my heart flutter in that happy, satisfied way.

It felt like I had succeeded in my own, personal goal of bringing someone joy today.

“W-Wow…I-I wasn’t expecting that.” Once Kei got that last chuckle out of her system, I was again stunned at the sight of her looking up at me, her dark eyes looking the brightest I had ever seen them today. “I guess that means you’ll be here in Konoha for a while?”

“Even through the Third Shinobi World War,” I finished flatly.

Kei just wiped a stray tear from her eye before offering a hand to me. I found myself staring at it in confusion. “Then, could I rely on you while getting through all this bullshit?”

_…Huh?_

I looked up at her. Kei was giving me that same lopsided grin. “Hey, it’s better than heading it out alone, right? Two minds are better than one.”

Before I knew it, I was smiling too. “You _do_ realize that package comes with a lot of worried rambling, apologies, and tackle hugs, right?”

Kei shrugged, still offering her hand to me. “Better than nothing, right?”

I should’ve known she would throw my own words back at me.

In the end, I just accepted the hand and shook it with a bright smile. “Better than nothing.”

Kei’s lopsided grin turned more soft and straight while looking at me. “Look forward to working with you, Tomoko.”

“Look forward to working with you too, Kei.” And then a small, devious thought popped up in my head. “As long as you don’t mind tackle-hugs every single day~”

“…Wait, what—” I didn’t even give her enough time to respond before I did it.

I literally jumped on Kei in a tackle hug.

And honestly, I had been holding it back all afternoon. I think I had a proper excuse.

Even if Kei was considerably statue-like underneath me. “…Really, Tomoko?” She deadpanned.

I just laughed.

I finally had a true friend.

I finally knew someone who was just like me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Not much to say here except that I really need to get back to school work considering my last quarter of this school year is already in full swing. So updates may be a bit sporadic. But thanks for all the support so far—a shout-out going to Lang and Beta again.
> 
> I know I’ve said it a lot before, but it’s really thanks to the both of you that I got to write and finish the last two chapters. Thanks.
> 
> And thank you to all those who have read Chapter 1! I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the shenanigans Kei and Tomoko will go through!
> 
> For a little something extra, here’s a small preview of what I was thinking to be included in Chapter 3:
> 
> “By the way,” Kei started, turning back to look at me.
> 
> “Hm?” 
> 
> “Your chakra sense isn’t actually that bad, Tomoko. I can sense chakra, and apparently every time you play piano, I feel hair strands of chakra flowing out of every note.”
> 
> I blinked. Then my mouth dropped. 
> 
> “HUH?!”
> 
> Thanks again, guys! This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out!


	3. Making Sense of Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don’t own ANYTHING except Tomoko, her family, and the concept of Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> Anyways, the theme for this chapter is actually joshagarrado’s piano cover of No, Thank You from K-On. I personally really enjoyed the original song, but I found this cover in particular to really resonate with the themes covered here. As the chapter title suggests, Kei and Tomoko have to make sense of a lot of shit, and I found this short cover shows that frustration. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 3: Making Sense of Shit_

"Tomoko-chan?"

I blinked, looking up from my rice bowl. "Yes, Papa?"

Dad had a knowing smile on his face as he put his chin on his hand, looking at me with fond brown eyes from across the dinner table. "Did something happen today?"

Confusion was rolling through me. "Why do you ask?"

"You look happier than usual, that's all." He answered immediately, smile widening on his face. "By chance, did you make a new friend?"

The first image that went through my mind was a lopsided grin and warm, black eyes.

An embarrassed red darted across my cheeks as I shakily grabbed a piece of fish with my chopsticks to chomp on immediately. Was I that easy to read?

Papa was outright _smirking_ now as an eyebrow raised at me. "Knew it."

"Let me guess," Mama interjected gently, wiping her hands on a dishcloth before taking a seat next to Papa. When did she finish cleaning the kitchen? "Was it that boy who came into the cafe earlier today?"

The heat was already starting to recede from my face at those words as I gave her a tired glance. I had a strange feeling this misunderstanding was going to become common in the future. "M-Mama, it was a girl, not a boy."

Mama blinked before taking on a more shocked and apologetic expression. "W-Wait, really?"

Papa gave Mama one glance before bursting out into laughter.

"… _Anata_ ," Mama admonished, and I didn't miss the irritated twitch of her eyebrow when looking in Papa's direction.

It must've been the gender misunderstanding that got Papa so wound up. Knowing him, he must've saw it long before Mama and I did.

Darn ninja, retired or not.

"…Don't worry, Mama, I made that same mistake," I interjected between Dad's chuckles.

Instead of making things a bit better, all my words did was increase the magnitude of Dad's laughter. A few seconds later, he promptly fell off his chair, twitching the whole way while laughing.

I just stared at his fumbling legs for a second.

Was it really that funny?

"…While your father is out doing what he does," Mama said slowly, and I didn't miss the bemused twitch of her lips at the sound of Papa's chuckles. "Do you plan on meeting up with him—er— _her_ , again?"

Yep. Mama was facing a bit of identity confusion about Kei just as much as I was.

Nonetheless, I found myself smiling while taking a bite of rice. "Mm-hm. We'll be meeting up again in Nagareboshi tomorrow since it's the weekend."

 _Just not in the way you expect_. My thoughts filled in.

* * *

"So, I guess we should meet up and start figuring out the mess that is canon in the future?" Kei interjected, questioning frown on her face.

"Yep, just not today," I agreed, stretching my legs for a second on my cushion before standing up. "It's almost the end of the day and I need to get back to work soon."

In response, the future ninja just glanced at me in confusion before turning towards the clock. I didn't miss how her eyes widened. " _Shit,_ " she cursed immediately. "I have to start heading home now too."

I wilted a little before smiling sheepishly. We were talking for a while. "Think I could walk out with you, Kei?"

Her black eyes turned on me in light surprise before she grinned. "Sure."

It didn't take that long to put away the cushions into the closet and walk back out into Nagareboshi Cafe. Heck, time flew by really fast when we got back into the familiar hustle-bustle noise of the business. Thankfully, no one was really looking in our direction when I opened the back door—if anything, since it was close to nighttime, the surrounding area was almost empty with the exception of a few customers at the bar.

I didn't miss Mama's questioning gaze on me from the bar as I walked past her towards the front door, Kei trailing behind me. I could explain the whole thing another day.

The large swinging doors were soon towering in front of me as Kei sighed.

Was she…disappointed?

I turned towards her before Kei smiled at me again, almost mournfully. "Well, I guess this is where we split up."

My heart twinged in a bit of disappointment. "Will you be alright heading back on your own, Kei?"

"I think so," she said mildly, a hand absently pushing the door open behind her. "My house is pretty close to here anyways."

Even with that being said, I couldn't shake off this feeling of disappointment. Was it the fact that the day was ending? Or was it just the idea of seeing a new friend leave?

…Wait a minute. Rewind here.

Was Kei really my friend?

Before I knew it, red was flooding my face.

_I never did confirm it, did I?_

By the time I realized it, I blinked only to gape at the sight of the future ninja already out the door and halfway down the street. Heck, she was already walking past the third streetlight on the road! "I'll see you tomorrow then, Tomoko!" She shouted at me from the distance, head not even turned in my direction.

 _Oh shit._ Without even thinking, I ran out past the doors to cup my hands around my mouth to yell. "KEI!"

Even from far away, I could see her stop mid-step before she turned to look back, confusion easy to see. "WHAT?" Kei yelled back, seemingly indulging me on the sudden shout-fest.

 _Ack_. I could feel another lump building up in my throat, and the passerby weren't helping with their curious stares. Nonetheless, I went with it, forcing my legs to run up in her direction while waving a hand wildly. "W-Wait a second!"

It actually took about maybe 10-20 seconds for me to reach her, and by the time I was huffing and puffing in front of her, Kei was grinning. "That was more than one second, Tomoko."

"N-Not the point," I retorted, raising a finger in the air while bending over to rest my hands on my knees. "G-Give me a minute."

Sheesh, with the way I was puffing, I _really_ needed to exercise more. Or just get out of Nagareboshi Cafe more. Either works.

Maybe running out in flats wasn't the best idea.

A puff of air sounded above my head before anything was said. "…What is it, Tomoko?" Kei asked softly.

After straightening myself, I looked up at her with a sheepish smile. It was now or never.

"B-By chance, Kei, w-we're friends, right?"

It felt embarrassing to ask. If anything, it felt like I was being the silly Captain Obvious, far too oblivious and dense to read in-between the lines. But then again, that was for the ninja.

I was just a reincarnated civilian making sure the only other reincarnated person in the area was someone I could trust.

Isn't that an okay excuse?

Kei gave me a half flat, half confused look all at once. Her messy black hair just added to the exasperated image. "…You ran all the way out here to just ask _that_?"

I didn't even have enough energy to say anything. I could only nod, averting my eyes from the embarrassment.

I just wanted to know if Gekkō Keisuke could be someone I could trust. Someone I could confide in.

I honestly wanted to know if we were going to be in this together. No matter what happened.

Then, to my surprise, a hand lightly landed on my hair. I looked up, and Kei's black eyes sparked with warmth. Even with my bangs shading a bit of my eyes, I couldn't miss the soft, almost lopsided grin on her face. "Of course we're friends. After everything we've talked about today, why wouldn't we?"

It was as if a weight was lifted off my chest. For the first time ever, maybe in my whole life as Tomoko, my heart felt light. Almost free. An easy comparison would be if…

If I got to see Leo and Josh again.

That's what it felt like, hearing Kei say that.

 _It's going to be okay._ My mind finished. _You're not alone._

I didn't even care at that point. Even with everyone staring, I just threw my arms around Kei's neck in one, last hug for the day.

Such an amazing person deserved that much. Especially knowing how much I could mess up, being the clumsy person I was.

" _Ack!_ " Was Kei's response as her hands shakily wrapped around my waist.

…Did I tackle her that hard? We were both still standing…

"Kei?" I started.

The response was deadpan and flat against my ear as her arms squeezed my waist. "... I'll have to get used to this, won't I?"

Without even meaning to, a giggle left my lips. "I told you back in Nagareboshi, didn't I?"

A sigh was my only reply.

At this point, I didn't even care about the various eyes pointed at our backs. Right now, it was just Kei and I. And I was happy.

I pulled away only to give the ninja a bright smile. "Thank you, Kei."

My last thought was left unsaid, but Kei seemed to get it judging by the understanding glint in her black eyes.

_Thank you for being with me._

"No problem." A hand landed on my head again, and I didn't even mind her ruffling my hair anymore.

The response was clear enough.

 _We'll be together for quite a while_.

* * *

So, now that leads to my current question. Fast forward a bit, and...

"…Why am I nervous about this?" was what left my mouth.

"It's the first time you've invited a friend over, hime. Of course you're nervous." Papa interjected from the bar area as he wiped a wet glass with a towel.

I just fiddled with the hem of my skirt while looking down at the piano keys underneath my fingertips.

It was a new day—the beginning of the weekend with a bright Saturday morning. Nagareboshi was closed, but we had to open the front doors if it meant Kei coming in without dealing with a lock in her face.

So then _why_ was I getting stage fright before she even walked through the darn door?

My hands were sweaty, my face was hot, and my clothes felt a bit too loose on me. For the sake of this meeting and the spring season, I went with a simple white blouse and lavender skirt with blue diamond patterns, but now a part of me was wondering if this was too flashy.

Heck, I was wondering if I was overthinking this whole meet-up. All we were planning to do was write down whatever we remembered from canon and plot/conspire from there. I think.

"If I didn't know any better, it would look like you're waiting for a secret admirer, Tomoko-chan," Mom interjected, teasing smile on her face as she passed by me.

The heater that was my face just increased in temperature by margins.

"M-Mama~!" I squeaked, voice raising in pitch. "D-Don't say that!"

"Really, Hikari, don't," Papa interjected dryly. "I don't want to think about giving away our little girl to someone yet."

"Isn't the idea interesting though, dear?" Mama seemed to not get the message as she grinned teasingly. "I mean, you chose me~! Who do you think will choose our Tomoko-chan?"

"Preferably, no one." Papa deadpanned. "I'd like to keep our Tomoko-chan, thank you very much."

I was too embarrassed to even say anything.

… _Why are these two debating about my love life?_

TAP TAP.

I nearly jumped from the piano bench at the sound before turning towards the door. Mama and Papa immediately went silent as we all waited for a few seconds.

Was it just me or—

"Tomoko!" My heart leapt out of its place in my chest in surprise. "I'm here!"

_Kei._

I ran over to the door in a heartbeat to throw it open.

* * *

Gekkō Keisuke held back any urge to jump at the sudden slamming of the door to the side for the sake of keeping up posture.

Even if this was a meeting in the name of sorting out the shit-mess that was canon, this was still Kei's first time visiting someone else's house.

The giant, looming 'Nagareboshi Cafe' sign above her head didn't help anything. Normally, it would be lit with bright, glowing letters showing that it was open, but since it was early day AND the weekend, it was almost dark and ominous from its position above the large, front doors of the cafe.

That was probably why she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of said doors slamming open with an audible echo.

The next thing Kei knew, she could see a disheveled Hoshino Tomoko standing in the new opening left by the door, looking almost breathless. If not for the orange hair ribbon making that same bow on her left hair strand, she might've been a different person with the white blouse and purple skirt. Nonetheless, Kei could see relief bloom in Tomoko's blue eyes. "K-Kei…" The girl mumbled, and Kei couldn't miss the obvious, shaky smile on the civilian's face. "H-Hello."

"Hey yourself," she responded.

Kei decided it be better to not question Tomoko as to _why_ she looked so nervous. Her red cheeks and shaky chakra signature said more than enough.

The civilian took a second to close her eyes and breathe, so Kei waited. "…I-I was not expecting to be so nervous when seeing you." Tomoko admitted slowly. "Sorry about this."

 _At least she's honest about it._ Kei just smiled at her. "I'm guessing you were waiting for a while?"

The pianist flushed a deep pink before nodding. "Y-You can come in now," Tomoko averted, pushing the door open a little wider. "Mama and Papa wanted to meet you anyways."

Kei made sure to ruffle the girl's hair before walking inside.

Tense nerves wouldn't help anything in this case.

Immediately, the almost lukewarm interiors of Nagareboshi Cafe greeted her as Kei took another step forward. Compared to yesterday, it was as if the cafe was ghostly, the empty seats and tables being the first things that caught her eye. The piano itself looked almost untouched in its position on stage, the only indication of its use being the uncovered black and white keys.

And then Kei noticed the other chakra signatures in the room.

"So, you're Tomoko-chan's new friend, hm?" A deep, almost cheerful voice. Kei turned around only to see warm brown eyes and a wide, cheerful grin greeting her. "Nice to have you. I'm Hoshino Judai, Tomoko's dad and co-owner of Nagareboshi Cafe."

"And I'm Hoshino Hikari, Tomoko's mom and other owner." When Kei turned to the other side, the woman was smiling at her in a similar way to her husband, blue eyes sparkling. "It's nice to meet you, um…"

"Keisuke," Kei completed on reflex, bowing her head in respect. "Keisuke Gekkō. It's nice to meet you both, Judai-san, Hikari-san."

Hikari blinked, tilting her head. "…Keisuke?"

Kei had a bad feeling and tensed before raising her head.

Judai raised an eyebrow at her while putting a hand on his hip. "…You are a girl, right?"

The future ninja didn't miss the tiny, almost inaudible giggle next to her. Kei just sighed, formal language escaping her on instinct. "…I'm a girl. My name often adds to the misunderstanding of my being a boy, Judai-san."

Hikari blinked again before hiding a smile behind her hand. Kei had a feeling that the woman was close to laughing. "S-So, Tomoko-chan was right…"

The pianist stopped giggling to flush almost immediately. "M-Mama! You didn't believe me?"

Judai was grinning now as he hid a chuckle. "Well, Tomoko-chan, it's a little hard to believe when you were a little, cute tomato over there~! Why, you could barely talk at all to us about Keisuke yesterday!"

"Papa!" Tomoko audibly squeaked, voice rising in pitch with every passing second, hands waving in the air. "C-Could you not embarrass me? K-Kei's right here!"

_These people don't mean any harm._

The tension left Kei almost immediately at the thought as she grinned. The atmosphere was finally starting to warm up into a relaxing feeling. "Really, it's fine, Judai-san, Hikari-san. Thanks for asking. Not a lot of people do that."

Hikari gave a giggle of her own before lightly motioning towards the back door. "Anyways, Keisuke-chan, feel free to come in. We'll be cleaning up out here, so if you and Tomoko-chan need anything, we'll be right here, alright? I know our daughter can be a bit of a klutz."

"MAMA!" Tomoko squeaked.

 _Tomoko would probably make a good Minnie Mouse._ Kei thought.

"Thank you very much," She responded outwardly, hiding a grin of her own as Tomoko proceeded to grab her left hand in her right and promptly start walking her further into the building. "I'll talk to you two later!"

"Have fun, you two!" Judai called out to them.

It actually would've been nice if she could have more time to talk, but from the looks of it, Tomoko was too embarrassed to stay in the cafe any further, judging by her tight grip.

"…Tomoko?" Kei started.

The pianist opened the back door to start walking up the stairs, never letting go of Kei's hand in the process.

_Oh great._

"Tomoko, they were joking, you know," Kei said slowly.

Mid-step up a stair, Tomoko stopped only for Kei to feel heat travel down to her hand. She looked up to only see the red tips of the civilian's ears. "…I know." The pianist murmured softly, and Kei didn't miss the shakiness in her voice. "I-It was just…" Tomoko turned her head, and she could easily see the shaky, embarrassed smile on the civilian's face. "You're the first person I've ever invited home, Kei. It was embarrassing to hear Mama and Papa say all that when you were right there."

Kei held back the urge to chuckle. "That just means that they're happy you have a friend, right?"

Tomoko blinked before glancing to the side in clear thought. "…Huh." The civilian then went on to continue her previous pace of walking up the stairs, still hanging onto Kei's left hand. Thankfully, the grip had loosened enough for the future ninja to feel her blood running through her skin again. "I never thought about it that way."

And then Tomoko opened the door at the top of the stairs. The resulting walk through the Hoshino Family home was pretty quick, considering Tomoko had hastened her pace to bring Kei into her room. Once the familiar lavender walls from the day before greeted her, the civilian finally let go.

Kei then made sure to close the door behind them, sticking a privacy seal on it in the process as Tomoko went over to her closet, pulling out a small table, two cushions, and a large sheet of paper and pencil. All of the items made a rather interesting pile in the girl's arms as Tomoko used her foot to close the closet door behind her. And yet seeing the pile shake in Tomoko's arms made Kei a little worried.

"…You need help with that?" Kei asked slowly.

"Nah." She could hear Tomoko mumble past the cushions. "I'm good."

 _Doesn't look like it._ Kei thought as Tomoko carefully walked over to the center of the room to drop her baggage onto the floor with an audible slam of the table wood.

The ninja was honestly grateful that the noise didn't echo as much as it should've, considering Tomoko had tile floors.

Without even thinking, Kei made sure to grab a cushion to help place on the ground.

Tomoko blinked up at her. "Y-You didn't have to do that. I could've handled it."

In the middle of her set-up work, Kei glanced at the civilian with a lopsided smile. "Hey, it's fine. Just let me help out a little."

Tomoko just raised an eyebrow at her before nodding hesitantly.

Once the area was set up, Tomoko sat down and spread the paper out on the table, scribbling _Naruto Canon_ on the top of it with big lead… _English_ letters?

"Tomoko?" Kei interrupted in the middle of the girl's writing.

The civilian looked up with a confused expression, pencil having stopped moving. "Yes, Kei?"

"You…" Kei couldn't stop her voice from shaking in surprise. "You remember how to write in English?"

 _Sheesh_ , even when saying the language's name in Japanese, it sounded foreign to her.

The pianist looked down at the paper before flushing a light pink. "…Oh, this? I-I kinda do it when I'm on my own. Before…Before I died," Tomoko trailed off before continuing to scribble bullet points down the paper, as if to distract her from thinking about anything painful. "I was a full-time college student studying for a bachelor's degree. I had to write a lot."

 _Huh_.

Tomoko looked up at Kei with a sheepish smile. "And hey, that way, no one but us will be able to read this, right?"

"…Not sure about that considering the Japanese used English words sometimes." Kei deadpanned. "But let's just go with that."

Tomoko frowned before going back to her work. Kei tried not to peek over the girl's shoulder, but her curiosity made her do so anyways.

A few seconds later, without even looking up, Tomoko spoke. "…Kei, you don't have to hover like that. I'm almost done."

 _Scribble scribble scribble._ The pencil went. _Scribble scribble._

Kei blinked when it finally stopped moving and Tomoko turned the paper over towards her. Despite the occasional shaky stroke, the paper had turned into an unofficial timeline, with various events written out in small, English font.

 _Let's see…_ Kei looked over the words in her head. _Third Shinobi World War, Nine Tails Attack on October Tenth, Hinata's attempted kidnapping, Naruto becoming genin, the formation of Team 7, the Land of Waves mission…_ She scrolled through the words at almost lightning speed. _The Chunin Exams, Konoha invasion, Sasuke Rescue Mission, Shippuden…huh_?

Out of pure curiosity, Kei skipped over to the end of the timeline to just stop.

 _Black Zetsu and Kaguya_ stared back at her, almost glaringly with their large, black lead letters.

Kei picked up the paper with her hand to stare at the words.

"…Kei?" Tomoko asked slowly in front of her.

"…Who the _fuck_ is Kaguya?" Kei said immediately. "I recognize Ten Tails Tobito, but not this."

There was a pause.

"…Kei, how far did you get into the original Naruto canon?" Tomoko continued, voice soft from the confusion.

"Only up until Obito got the new look." Kei answered. "I don't know what the fuck is with this _Kaguya._ "

Tomoko paused, and Kei put the paper down only to see the civilian take on a sheepish expression. "…Well, Kei, Kaguya was Kishimoto's original answer as to how to get rid of Madara."

Another pause.

" _Fucking hell?!"_ Kei cursed again.

Out of all things, she was not expecting _this._

Kei didn't miss Tomoko look away to hide a giggle behind her hand. _What the fuck did I miss when I was dead?!_ "Um…I-I guess you didn't get that far, huh?"

"Yeah, no _shit._ " Kei responded curtly, doing her best to not slam her hand into the table in her frustration, opting to just rest her chin on the wood. "What even _happened_ after that? What happened to Madara?"

If not for the smile on Tomoko's face, Kei would've thought the girl wilted for a second. "Er…well, Kishimoto might've been on a creative block since Madara was becoming too unbearable, so…he used Black Zetsu to bring a whole new plot twist?" Tomoko proceeded to make an imaginary rainbow with her hands, visible sweat drop on her brow. "I think?"

" _Huh?!_ " Kei said immediately, shooting up in her seat. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Inwardly, Kei was feeling _very_ grateful for having stuck a privacy seal on the door earlier. Because if Judai, Hikari, or _anybody else_ heard this, they were doomed.

Meanwhile, Tomoko blinked rapidly before waving her hands in front of her face. "U-Uh, l-let me try to explain! I didn't really read the full manga up until that point, so I just know the general details."

"…You know what?" Kei deadpanned, slumping back into her cushion. "At this point, anything works. Just shoot."

Tomoko blinked again before sighing herself, relaxing her shoulders. "Well, from what I remember, the official explanation was that Black Zetsu was an extension of Madara's will, right?"

Kei nodded, feeling a migraine coming on _very_ quickly with how the conversation was going.

"Thing is, Black Zetsu decided to take matters into his own hands once the Infinite Tsukiyomi was cast. Team 7, including Sasuke and Kakashi, were only able to avoid it because of Sasuke somehow getting the Rinnegan in his left eye and casting Susanoo to shield them from the moon." Tomoko slumped in her own cushion with a long sigh. "But because Madara was weak enough, Black Zetsu basically stabbed him through the chest while using Obito's body, claiming that he was acting under the will of his mother."

"…Mother." Kei repeated.

"Yep," Tomoko nodded in her best attempt to look sagely. "Kaguya." The civilian went on to grab the paper and start scribbling on it again.

Kei attempted to focus on the sound of the pencil scribbling to just get out the incoming headache. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as Tomoko soon pushed the paper back in her direction.

"The mother of the Sage of Six Paths," Tomoko finished duly, finger pointing towards the new words. Kei looked at it to see Kaguya's name circled with dark lead marks, a stray line connecting to a new name. _Hagoromo Otsutsuki._ "Kaguya Otsutsuki was the original creator of chakra apparently. When Black Zetsu stabbed Madara, he was able to make it so Madara's body would be possessed by her and therefore be put out of commission like Kishimoto originally wanted."

Kei blinked before looking up at the civilian with a frown. "The _fuck_?"

Tomoko blinked before scratching her cheek nervously. "Yeah…so…you remember the Ten Tails statue, right?"

"…What does that have to do with it?" Kei continued, frown deepening with every passing second.

The civilian huffed a tired breath before pointing to another circle. Kei followed her finger to the new destination of _Chakra Tree_ and _Ten Tails_ on the paper. "Well, originally, Kaguya came with a bunch of others in her clan to Earth to find power or something. They ended up finding the Chakra Tree, which gave power to the Earth in a way similar to the Garden of Eden in Christianity." Tomoko shrugged at this point. "I'm not sure of the full details, but when her clan was in danger because of a recent war put on by the humans, Kaguya actually consumed the Chakra Fruit from said tree to stop the war. She became the first person to ever use chakra."

"…Okay?" Kei said, tentatively agreeing with the idea for now.

"Because of her role ending that war, humanity looked up to Kaguya as the Rabbit Goddess. And she initially started out good, wanting peace and all that." Tomoko's smile turned almost sad now as she glanced at the paper. "Thing is, the power started getting to her. Apparently, between the war ending and her becoming the new god of humanity, she ended up fusing _with_ the Chakra Tree to become what we know as the Ten Tails."

Kei's blood ran cold in her veins. "… _shit_ ," she cursed.

Tomoko nodded mournfully, pointing to the next circle on the paper, simply labeled with _Kaguya's sealing._ "As time went on and humanity started doing even more shit, Kaguya started to believe that no one deserved her power and that chakra only belonged to her. But when her two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, fought her over her tyrannical rule, they somehow made it so that they split her up into two beings before sealing her soul away elsewhere. I'm not fully sure of the exact details, but it was basically the Ten Tails husk that we saw in Shippuden," Tomoko pointed at the _Ten Tails_ circle again. "And the Ten Tails chakra being sealed into Hagoromo, which was later split up into the Nine Tailed Beasts at the time of his death." The civilian pointed towards another circle with _Tailed Beasts_ in its center.

"…hold the phone." Kei interrupted, lifting her head from the table. "What happened to Hamura? Shouldn't he have been with Hagoromo after all that?"

Tomoko bit her lip before pointing towards a circle simply labeled _The Moon._ "When the Ten Tails husk was sealed into what we know now as the moon through Chibaku Tensei, Hamura followed it so that he and his descendants could watch over it forever. That was a plot point in the epilogue after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Kishimoto didn't really go into HOW the Statue got off the moon though." Tomoko paused to take a breath and smile at Kei for a moment. "For the sake of time, I'll explain it after the whole thing with Kaguya."

Kei held back the urge to sigh herself, opting to nod instead. "Point there. Go ahead, Tomoko."

"But…what they didn't know was that Kaguya, in the middle of the sealing process, actually split off a part of her own will to cast aside as soon as she was put away." Tomoko's finger then moved to a circle labeled simply as _Black Zetsu._ "That was Black Zetsu—who later resurfaced when Madara discovered the Ten Tails Statue. Black Zetsu went on to manipulate both of Hagoromo's sons so that we would have ninjutsu, chakra used for fighting, instead of the intended ninshu, chakra used for understanding." Kei couldn't miss the deep frown on the girl's face at this point. "Those two sons of the Sage went on to be reincarnated every single generation, fighting it out all because of Black Zetsu interfering. In the meantime, those two sons' bloodlines went on to become the Uchiha and Senju clans. It's ironic that Madara and Hashirama, the first Hokage, were one of those reincarnated pairs of the brothers."

Kei had a sinking feeling in her chest. "…Let me guess, Naruto and Sasuke were the final pair?"

Tomoko nodded mutely. "That's why Black Zetsu is so dangerous. He's actively manipulating the behind-the-scenes stuff to revive Kaguya. He wants to give all of the world's chakra back to her for the sake of 'world domination' or something. Heck, he orchestrated everything with the Uchiha because he changed a precious tablet of theirs or something. I wouldn't put it past him for being the factor that led to the Ten Tails Statue being brought to Earth if it meant bringing Kaguya back."

Kei now had the heavy urge to barf. "So most of the plot is now caused by _aliens?_ "

"Yep." Tomoko concluded.

Kei was openly gaping now. "…Seriously?"

"…I have a feeling you don't want me to get into White Zetsu either now, do you?" Tomoko asked slowly.

Kei just pinched the bridge of her nose while leaning back on her left hand. "You know what? Just shoot. I don't think it can get any worse than this."

Tomoko just raised an eyebrow before sighing and pointing to another circle. "…Just don't start yelling when it does, please Kei?" Her voice cracked a bit at the end.

Kei shrugged. "No promises."

Tomoko gave the future ninja a flat look before continuing. "Well, the White Zetsu are actually the former victims of the first Infinite Tsukiyomi cast by Kaguya."

…Wait.

Wait.

Rewind for a second.

Kei shot up from her slouch almost immediately.

"The _fuck_?!"

Tomoko flinched, and Kei immediately found herself regretting the sudden yell. "S-Sorry, Tomoko." The future ninja amended quickly. "Just…really?"

The civilian blinked, taking a moment to relax her tense shoulders before smiling sheepishly. "Yeah. Apparently when Kaguya first hit the rail, she tried to reset the world and humanity by casting Infinite Tsukiyomi. As time went on, the trapped humans started turning into White Zetsu the longer they were exposed to the God Tree, that tree in particular being an extension of the original Chakra Tree." Kei didn't miss how Tomoko started taking on a tinge of sick green during the explanation. "Apparently she wanted to do this to the ninja forces in the Fourth War too because she was afraid of other aliens from her clan coming down and usurping more of her chakra. So, the White Zetsu are essentially her army."

"…So, let me get this straight." Kei leaned back into her cushion with a long sigh. "Black Zetsu _and_ White Zetsu basically work for this Kaguya person, hoping to bring her back for the sake of world domination, thinking of turning the rest of humanity into more White Zetsu for the sake of giving back and keeping her power in case any ridiculous relatives show up on Earth?"

"Yep," Tomoko said.

Kei was frowning. "And when coming back originally, she took control of Madara's body to the point of his near-death?"

"Yep," Tomoko repeated.

"And _how_ was she defeated in canon?" Kei continued dryly.

"More sealing bullshit with Naruto and Sasuke somehow getting Hagoromo's blessing and powers," Tomoko said, pencil limp in her right hand now. "Basically, Kaguya was so powerful even the Sage and Hamura could do nothing _but_ seal her away. The only reason why Naruto and Sasuke succeeded was that they were able to get Black Zetsu sealed away too."

"…So a lot of ninja bullshit?" Kei concluded.

Tomoko nodded sagely. "Ninja bullshit."

" _What_." Kei said simply. "Why…why would…" She facepalmed. "I give up."

A long pause followed.

"…I probably shouldn't get into _The Last: Naruto the Movie_ and _Boruto_ , huh?" Tomoko asked slowly.

Kei found herself sighing deeply. "Okay…you know what? Hit me. I need to know this shit."

 _So that when it might happen, I can at least do something._ Her mind finished.

Tomoko blinked, clear concern in her blue eyes now. "A-Are you sure? It's more bullshit stuff, Kei."

"At this point, I don't even care that much about info dumps, Tomoko." Kei waved a hand. "It's better to know this shit than go in blind."

"…I'm probably going to start ranting _because_ the ending sucks shit, Kei," Tomoko deadpanned in response, blue orbs narrowing. "Are you really okay with that? Because I know I can be loud."

Kei just gave the civilian girl a half-smirk, half-grimace. "Tomoko, I asked my dad for his _strongest_ privacy seal just for today, and it's stuck to your door. Rant as much as you want."

Tomoko blinked again before taking a breath and standing up to stretch for a moment. "…Thank you for the privacy seal by the way. And you might want to cover your ears, Kei."

"You're welcome, and…why?" Kei said.

Tomoko gave her an apologetic smile. "Knowing me, I'm going to be ranting for a while."

"…Would it be better to space out in the middle of it then?" Kei continued, same questioning tone in her voice.

"Probably."

The ninja went on to cover her ears. And then, chaos broke loose, if we could put it like that.

Thankfully, thanks to the warning beforehand, Kei was able to tune out most of what Tomoko started to say. Even if she could catch every other word.

"It had to be—goddamn Sasuke being with Sakura—" Kei was barely paying attention to the civilian now for the sake of keeping her hearing intact. "And then aliens ruining Naruto—" Tomoko honestly looked like she was an angry pepper with her increasingly red face. "Boruto being a complete insensitive—" The clock ticked one minute. "—Orochimaru still being a douche—Konoha apparently being destroyed in the future—"

 _Blah blah blah._ Her mind filled in intelligently.

Thankfully, the supposed 'rant' only lasted for a few more seconds before Tomoko slumped back into her cushion seat with a long exhale. Kei blinked for a moment before carefully removing her hands from her ears. "You okay?"

The civilian girl nodded, tired expression on her face.

Without even thinking, Kei reached over to touch Tomoko's hand.

Tomoko looked up again with a more relieved expression. "Thanks, Kei."

"No problem." Kei responded immediately, turning the girl's hand over to intertwine their fingers. "So I'm guessing we're in a load of shit, huh?"

Tomoko nodded again, tired expression quickly coming back. "So, those aliens that Kaguya were afraid of? Yeah, they come back in the generation after Naruto. And Hamura's clan makes a reappearance before that."

The fuzzy warmth of the moment was immediately replaced with cold dread as Kei grimaced. "Nothing we can do about that here and now, but that goes on the list," she said, shaking her head slowly. Freaking out would help nobody, even if the thing worth freaking out over looked as inevitable as the tide. "We need to concentrate on making sure that we get enough people together to make those jerks work for it."

Tomoko nodded slowly before resting her forehead against the table, sighing. "…Canon sucks."

Kei squeezed her hand in response. "It's shit."

"It's shit." Tomoko repeated in tired agreement, gripping Kei's hand tightly in return. " _Ugh…_ "

Kei blinked. "…You still want to explain everything, or…?" Honestly, if the ninja didn't know any better, the civilian in front of her would've resembled a tired rag doll that had been thrown around far too much.

Without moving her head, Tomoko just raised her other hand to flop up and down in an 'it's okay' gesture. "...Give me a minute." She muttered, voice muffled by the table wood. " _Fwee~..._ " Was the resulting breath.

Kei held back a snicker. _Is that Tomoko's impression of a deflated balloon?_

A few seconds later, Tomoko raised her head from the table, and it was at that moment Kei got a good look at the now apparent tired lines in the girl's face. "…You really okay there, Tomoko?"

All Kei got in response was a raised eyebrow and a slow shake of her friend's head. "…I just _really_ hate Masashi Kishimoto-san's guts, Kei, that's all. If not for the fact that he has a family, I would've punched him if I had the time."

Kei blinked. "He has a family?"

"Oh…that." Tomoko shook her head really quickly before looking up at the ninja with brighter blue eyes. "I'm not sure if you got to see the original manga ending, but there was a lot of fan controversy as to how the epilogue was handled—even when taking the aliens out of the picture. I know I personally would've preferred it to end at Naruto, but then Shonen Jump had to continue it with his son, Boruto."

Kei was sure her eyebrow was twitching now. "So they were milking it?"

Tomoko nodded tiredly. "The thing is, for a lot of Boruto's story, at least…until I died anyways," the civilian girl held back a grimace before continuing. "Kishimoto-san wasn't even the main writer. He was just the consultant by then. Apparently during the manga's run, he wasn't even able to spend time with his children or take his own _wife of thirteen years_ out on a honeymoon, so that's why Boruto was all about the kids of the current generation."

The ninja immediately shook her head in pity. "So, I'm guessing that's where the writing became more inconsistent than other works."

To Kei's surprise, Tomoko shook her head. "Not really. Honestly, some friends of mine actually showed me how it was the whole Fourth Shinobi World War Arc in general where things really started going down, because Kaguya was just an _ass pull_ , Madara was easily forgiven before his death by Hashirama, Obito got redeemed—"

…Wait a minute.

Hold the phone.

"Tomoko, rewind for a second," Kei said immediately, squeezing the girl's hand. "Did you say _Obito got redeemed_?"

The girl just blinked, clear exhaustion in her blue eyes. "…Yeah, he did. Turns out Madara was playing him _since_ Rin's kidnapping, and near the end when Kaguya showed up, Obito figured it out and turned good."

Kei felt the heavy urge to just facepalm now. "I don't know whether to be happy or angry at the whole thing. And…we basically have a list of people being conned one after another now, huh?"

"Yeah…" Tomoko muttered tiredly, and Kei watched as she used her other hand to grab the pencil off the table to push another blank section of the now crowded paper into view. Then, the girl started to scribble again - at least, as much as she could with one hand.

Kei grinned sheepishly, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "…Do you want me to let go, Tomoko?"

"Don't, please," the girl responded immediately, squeezing Kei's hand in response while still writing. "This feels nice, so don't. It helps keep me awake during this whole thing, anyways."

Kei snickered. "Alright then."

 _Scribble scribble._ The pencil went again. _Scribble scribble scribble._

A few seconds later, Tomoko pushed the newly filled section of the paper towards Kei's direction. Kei looked down to see what resembled another small timeline, this time in a vertical direction. At the top of the line was _Black Zetsu and Kaguya_ , and at the bottom was a crudely written _Shinobi World_.

"Let me guess…" Kei trailed off while using her only free hand to point at the top of the line. "So, we're starting with Black Zetsu and Kaguya, who are trying to retake the world they lost to the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura, right?"

"Uh-huh…" Tomoko muttered, eyelids drooping a little.

Kei moved her finger down the line. "And then there's Madara, who we initially thought was the mastermind behind everything."

"Yeah…" Tomoko said slowly.

Kei moved her hand again, landing on the bold **Obito** written in the middle of the line. "And then there's Obito, who was the orchestrator of Akatsuki and October Tenth in canon under Madara's orders after Rin died."

"Mm," Tomoko hummed, her chin now on the table.

"Quick clarification, Tomoko," Kei said slowly, squeezing the girl's hand. "What were the exact details of Madara's converting Obito to the dark side?"

The apparent _Star Wars_ reference did its job of getting a giggle out of the civilian as Tomoko lifted her head from the table, small smile on her face. Kei made sure to mentally tally that in her ' _how to wake a tired friend_ ' list. "Ah, that." Tomoko sighed, her free hand now serving as a chin rest. "Well, you know how love goes in Naruto, right Kei?"

Kei wasn't liking how this conversation was going. "Is this Team 7, but worse?"

Tomoko nodded. "Basically, what made Obito convert fully was that Madara _made_ him see Rin's death by Kakashi's Chidori."

Kei's blood ran cold again. "…Seriously?"

Tomoko had a sad look in her blue eyes now. "White Zetsu was acting under the command of Madara because of Black Zetsu being there. They kidnapped Rin and sealed Isobu inside her while also making it so Kakashi could be the only one to get her, putting a Mind Control Seal over her heart so that she couldn't disobey Madara's orders to rampage in Konoha. Why do you think Obito had such good luck finding out where they were?"

If Kei's heart hadn't already dropped to its stomach, then this was getting better by the moment. "So, Obito snapped at seeing Rin go and that made him become Tobi, right?"

Tomoko just nodded tiredly before pointing to the same line on the paper again. "That's where it leads to Akatsuki, ignoring the Hidden Mist for now considering Kishimoto covered jack shit about them, and then the Shinobi World." The civilian's finger soon moved back up the line to land on the circle labeled _Black Zetsu and Kaguya_ again. "Obito betrayed Akatsuki, Madara betrayed Obito, and then there's Black Zetsu. That's where Kaguya ended up coming in. After Madara became the Ten Tails Host in Obito's place, he cast Infinite Tsukiyomi. Then, because he was so weakened by Naruto and Sasuke already, Black Zetsu betrays Madara and made it so that Kaguya would come back." Tomoko took a breath. "What Black Zetsu didn't account for was that the Sage, Hagaromo, would come back in spirit, because of the Ten Tails resurfacing, to give his powers to Naruto and Sasuke to seal Kaguya away again, which they did in one of her own alternate dimensions by the ending of the manga. It…It should've ended there."

"But considering Boruto and _The Last: Naruto the Movie_ you mentioned, it didn't." Kei added.

"Nope." Tomoko said flatly. Then, Kei watched as the civilian picked up the pencil again to scribble. This time, it only took about 10-15 seconds max before Kei could look again, and this time, there were two new branches attached to the original horizontal timeline, way past the original _Black Zetsu and Kaguya_ ending point. _The Last_ and _Boruto_ were written in small, crude font in the last, two bubbles on the line. "So…starting with the Last," Tomoko pointed a finger at the first bubble. "This actually takes place when the Rookie Nine are about 20, and Kakashi reigning as Sixth Hokage."

Kei blinked. "Kakashi became Hokage? But I thought he'd be too lazy for that."

Tomoko just shrugged her shoulders before continuing. "Tsunade went through a lot in the Fourth War, with her body literally being cleaved in half by Madara. She was only saved thanks to Katsuyu and Orochimaru, so I wouldn't blame her for having enough." The civilian girl let out another sigh. "Anyways, this is where Hamura's clan came in. Turns out that the moon is getting closer and closer to Earth and the Five Kage were meeting up about what to do with it. And _then_ , it turns out that one of Hamura's last descendents, Toneri, wants to punish humanity for some bullshit reason that I can't remember via destroying the world."

"…Why is that every villain wants to destroy the world?" Kei deadpanned.

"Don't ask me," Tomoko answered immediately. "If we ever see our old world, ask Kishimoto-san for me."

Kei just facepalmed. "Okay…anyways, what happened then?"

"Well, remember how Hagoromo's two sons later created the Uchiha and Senju clans in history, right?" Tomoko began again, contemplative frown on her face. "Turns out that Hamura had his own mark on Konoha, because some of his descendants that might not have followed him to the Moon settled on Earth to become what we know as the Hyuga Clan."

"…Seriously? They make the Byakugan stand out just about now?" Kei said slowly.

"Yep. Just let me continue, Kei," Tomoko said back.

The ninja just shrugged in response. "Go ahead. Shoot."

Tomoko sighed again. "So, Toneri wants a specific set of Byakugan in order to set his plan in motion. He apparently wanted to smash the moon into the Earth as payback for leaving his clan in isolation, and originally tried to target Hinata. His dojutsu, the Tenseigan, only activates with Hinata's Byakugan apparently. Thing is, he only got Hanabi since Hinata herself was on a mission, and he kinda settled for it because of the shared kin aspect."

"So, this led to Naruto and the others heading out to save Hanabi?" Kei concluded.

"Uh-huh," Tomoko nodded before pointing to a branch heading out of the original _The Last_ bubble, and Kei followed the girl's finger only to land on a circle labeled _NaruHina_. "This whole story was specifically called 'The Last' because this was Naruto's main last adventure before becoming the Seventh Hokage. Ads called it, um…" Tomoko paused, blinking and resting her chin on her only free hand again before continuing. "Oh, _the last story is a love story_ , kind of thing."

"…Well, I suppose there would be _worse_ times for that," Kei muttered. "I assume that Naruto beat Toneri up, Toneri died, and everything was hunky-dory for however long after that until _aliens_." The frustration really started to seep through the ninja's voice as Kei just threw her free hand up in the air, flailing almost dramatically.

Even in her tired state, Tomoko frowned. "Replace the ' _Toneri died_ ' with ' _Toneri was spared, but Naruto and Hinata attempted to redeem him_ ', then we're good."

Kei was making a face now. "They didn't kill the bastard? Even though he _kidnapped_ Hinata's own little sister and possibly took her eyes?"

Tomoko did her best to shrug given her new slouching position. "Kei…this is Naruto we're talking about. Of course he would try to forgive him first. Even if he did take Hanabi's eyes—" Her next words were cut in half with a loud yawn, Tomoko's free hand reaching up to cover her mouth while doing so.

Kei blinked, glancing at their interlaced fingers for a moment. Tomoko's grip did seem a bit more loose than before, and her voice… "Tomoko, do you want to take a break?"

To the ninja's surprise, the civilian blinked before eagerly shaking her head. "No…" Another yawn. "I haven't even gotten to…" Another yawn. "We haven't even gotten to the aliens yet… and you said you needed to hear this shit." Tomoko was now rubbing her eyes with her free hand while slowly reciprocating Kei's grip on her other. "I-I started this so…"

Kei wasn't impressed, taking on a flat expression. "But you've been talking for a few hours now, Tomoko. You already sound like you have a sore throat."

The civilian only blinked before slowly turning towards the clock in the room. "It's just noon, Kei…and I'll be okay. It's just a sore throat…"

Maybe it was the exasperation talking. Or quite possibly, the amount of canon info gone over in just one morning. Nonetheless, Kei shook her head, letting go of Tomoko's hand to get up from her seat cushion and stretch. "Just wait here, Tomoko. I'll go make you something."

Apparently the girl was still awake enough to hear the ninja's words and attempted to lift her head from the table. "K-Kei…you don't have to." Another yawn on the civilian's part did nothing to deter Kei's decision, however. "You're the guest, so you don't—"

"Tomoko, you're tired from all that talking and currently sound like you've gone through a grinder." Kei deadpanned, having already taken the time to walk over to the door. "I'll go make some tea for you and come back."

The ninja didn't even hear Tomoko's tired protest before closing the door.

Now she just needed to find a teapot.

* * *

The last thing Hoshino Judai was expecting when coming back into the house was the sight of a young Gekkō Keisuke in the kitchen, bustling around with hot water and tea bags.

If anything, the former ninja was expecting a loud living room with his little girl talking it out with her new friend.

Not said friend actually hard at work making what appeared to be _tea_ of all things.

Nonetheless, he put on a grin before walking into the room. "Do you need any help?"

Keisuke blinked, having stopped mid-movement in setting in the tea bags before looking up with wide dark eyes. "Huh? Oh, hello, Judai-san. I'm fine." And with that said, the girl turned back to her work, carefully pouring the hot water into the small teapot.

Judai could've swore that pot was actually a gift a customer gave to the family at one point.

Despite that in mind, he found himself reaching into another cabinet to pull out matching tea cups, busying himself with it.

Nearby, Keisuke stopped again, hand in the middle of dropping another tea bag. "Judai-san, you don't have to help. I can handle this."

A more sincere grin came onto his face as he turned to look at the girl. "Hey, I want to. So, don't worry about it."

The girl just gave him a confused face before turning back to her work.

A few seconds of mutual silence passed.

Judai couldn't stand for it after a few more moments. "So…where's Tomoko-chan?"

Keisuke looked up, having already finished her work on the teapot. "Resting in her room. We were…" The girl took on a sheepish expression as she rubbed the back of her head with her hand. "We were talking for a while and then she started getting tired."

Judai held back the urge to chuckle. "Let me guess, she didn't want to take a break and you came out here to make tea for her?"

Keisuke just nodded curtly while glancing at the pot every now and then. The spout was now starting to emit steam, so Judai made sure to walk over and place the teacups in the girl's reach.

"…Thank you Keisuke-kun." He found himself saying softly.

The girl looked up at him in surprise. "What for?"

Judai smiled at her, and he knew his words were genuine. "You're really the first friend Tomoko-chan's had over. I'm not sure if she's told you this, but she plans on working in our cafe for a long time." Without meaning to, Judai chuckled softly. "I was a bit worried that she wouldn't make a lot of friends her age because of staying with us for so long."

The ninja wasn't even sure of why he was telling the girl at this point. But Keisuke seemed to understand, judging by the softness of her dark eyes. In the end, the girl turned back to the teapot, grabbing one of the teacups he set aside before speaking. "…You don't have to worry about that, Judai-san." Keisuke went on to gently pour sweet-smelling green tea into the cup after a moment of quiet. "I think I'll be with Tomoko for a very long time. There's no doubt about that."

Judai just smirked before reaching over to ruffle the girl's hair, ignoring her sudden squawk. "And Hikari and I are both very grateful."

The last thought was left unsaid.

_Thank you._

* * *

_Poke poke._

…

The same motion again, only more persistent.

_Poke poke poke._

…

Kei just held back the urge to sigh, placing the warm cup of tea on the table before reaching over to shake the civilian's shoulder. "Tomoko. Tomoko."

The pianist groaned, letting out a noise akin to a deflated pillow before twitching.

It was probably a good thing that Kei rescued the paper timeline before Tomoko started to drool on it. The large paper was now rolled up, placed in a corner of the pianist's closet, probably starting to collect dust.

The ninja sighed anyways before shaking her friend's shoulder again. "Tomoko, Tomoko~"

" _Muurgh…_ " And with that strange noise out of the way, the civilian stirred before slowly lifting her head from the table, clear indentations of wood now marked on her forehead. Tomoko's normally bright blue eyes were now clearly dull with sleepiness as a bit of drool leaked from the side of her mouth. Even with all that said, the civilian still looked out of it, blinking a few times before refocusing. "…Kei? What did I miss?" The pianist slowly turned her head to look around. "And…" A yawn. "Where did the timeline go?"

Kei found herself smiling while pushing the tea in the sleepy civilian's direction. "I rolled it up. We'll deal with it in a bit. Do you need a chance for a nap?"

Tomoko blinked again before yawning. "But Kei…what are you going to do? I literally gave you…" The civilian had to raise a hand to catch the next yawn leaving her lips. "The biggest info dump and mind f' ever."

The ninja shook her head. "Don't worry about me. Just drink this up and get some sleep. It's been a long day anyways."

Tomoko gave Kei a disbelieving glance before slowly picking up the tea cup with both hands. A few seconds passed before the civilian finally took a sip, and by then, the sleepy expression was becoming more and more apparent. "…Did you make this by yourself, Kei? Because it tastes really good."

"Mom taught me," Kei answered immediately. "Tea is good for sore throats."

Tomoko lightly blew on the surface of the tea to push away some steam before giving the ninja a thankful look. "…Honestly, it feels like you're taking care of me more than the other way around."

"Hey, you helped me out with all the new canon shit I have to consider." Kei said honestly, trying to keep a frown off her face despite the heavy need to just yell into the sky about how messed up things were. "So, it's fair game."

Tomoko still raised an eyebrow at the ninja. "…But I'm the host though…"

"No buts," Kei interrupted. "We help each other out, whether it's here or in the future, so no going on about hosting stuff when you're tired and we both need a break from dealing with writing bullshit."

Tomoko smiled mid-sip of tea anyways. "If this were any other moment, I would hug you, Kei, you know?"

As if by magic, the ninja inched away by a few margins, grimace obvious on her face.

Apparently her limbs were _still_ aching from the day before.

Tomoko just laughed.

Even in a messed up world like the Naruto-verse, two people still found each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: …Honestly, this is probably the longest chapter I’ve ever written, for any fanfiction whatsoever. I guess Chemistry studying can do that to you, because looking at stoichiometry is tiring. 
> 
> Kudos and many thanks to Lang Noi, by the way, because she sat through quite a few private messages with me just dealing with this chapter, so yeah. I hope all you readers enjoyed this huge thing!
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 now having to sign out to go back to studying, writing Chapter 37 of Civilian Pianist, and brainstorming Chapter 4. Let’s do this!


	4. Aliens and Old Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: …Yeah, not much else to be said. I don't own anything else EXCEPT for Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Alejandro Jimenz's piano cover of the third opening from Yugioh GX, specifically Teardrop by BOWL. I personally find it really suits the theme of this chapter. On the other hand, Tomoko specifically plays Kyle Landry's cover of Beauty and the Beast from the same Disney movie in the later half of the chapter. Please check both videos out on YouTube, and aside from that...
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 4: Aliens and Old Friends_

"—moko. Tomoko."

… _Ugh. Who's calling me?_

And then my cheek was pinched.

"WAAAH!"

Without even meaning to, I shot up and properly clocked Kei in the head.

Pain seared through my forehead for what felt like miles on end while my ears could faintly pick up Kei's voice.

"For the love of—Tomoko!" Kei yelped, and when the dust (and those random sparkles and flying unicorns) finally got out of my eyes, I glanced over only to see the future ninja nursing her forehead with a hand while grimacing. "Seriously?!"

I didn't even know what to think. If anything, what went through my head was: _Friend. Hurt. Looks like my fault. Shoot._

Yeah, it was in that order. You're completely okay to go and laugh at me.

"I-I'm sorry, Kei!" I stumbled, pushing the lingering feeling of ' _Ow_ ' to the back of my thoughts to focus on her, even if all that meant was my frantically flailing my hands in the air. "A-Are you okay?"

"To be honest?" Kei gave me what appeared to be a half-baked, frustrated stare. "Like a rock hit me right in the face. Was that…was that really necessary?"

_Oh no. She's angry, isn't she?_

"I-I'm really sorry, Kei!" I found myself repeating, even shooting up from my seat to bow in her direction. "Um…should I get anything for you? Do you need ice?"

"Tomoko."

"I mean," Oh dear. I was far too gone in the apology game now. "I-I did hit you prettyhard, andthelastthingyouneedisaconcussion!"

"Tomoko."

"Um, IcangoaskMamaandPapatoseeiftheycanhelp! And-And, um, I could getsomewater, or something, or—"

" _TOMOKO_!"

 _Meep._ I immediately shut up, closing my eyes. My heart was pounding, and every single part of me was expecting the worst case scenario. The raised voice was already a clear sign of something.

The last thing I was expecting in general was a hand landing on my head.

It was _really soft_ too. Heck, it wasn't even in the 'reprimanding' kind of landing on my head. This hand…felt nice. Almost…almost too gentle compared to the Kei of yesterday. She would've ruffled my hair to the point of causing tangles.

Not…not stroke my hair like…like Mom used to.

"Tomoko, don't tense up like that. I'm not upset." With a gulp, I opened my eyes only to see Kei give a crooked little grin. I didn't miss how her hand kept stroking my hair, taking out some bed-head tangles in its midst. "I was just surprised, okay? Besides, Mom hits harder in training. What kind of ninja would I be if I couldn't take that?"

"U-Um…" I stuttered, feeling the heat climb up to my face really quickly as she continued to smile at me. "Y-You're…you're really not angry?"

"I'm not angry." Kei answered immediately, same crooked smile on her face.

I couldn't help it. Before I knew it, I found myself blurting it out in a fast, high-pitched voice. "Kei, canIhugyou?"

There was a pause.

Kei was now looking at me with wide eyes, hand frozen on my head as she blinked rapidly.

Then. "…Huh?" she deadpanned.

Now the embarrassed heat on my cheeks was quickly turning into red-hot _shame._ I ended up turning away to stare at the tiled floor, trying to hide whatever mumble was caught in my throat while making myself into a ball. Even with that, my recent attempt at speaking sounded like a ' _muugh_ ' before I could finally replace it with something coherent. "Y-You know what? F-Forget it. Forget what I said. Ignore me."

 _You messed this shit_ _ **up**_ _~!_ My subconscious cat-called.

I was very tempted to go and sulk in a corner of the closet now.

"…Tomoko, I can't really ignore you," Kei said dryly, and…was her hand on my head again? "What were you trying to say?"

"…It sounds really silly right now, though." I muttered, fiddling with my hands in an attempt to wipe off the sweat. "S-So, please ignore me…"

"…Tomoko, compared to the shit that's Naruto canon, what you think of is fine." Before I could even attempt anything, that same hand on my head moved down to my shoulder, and I found myself getting forcibly turned to look at the ninja again. To my shock, she was smiling, this grin a little more soft. "Just say it."

Heat flooded my face, but it was now or never. I gulped, biting my lip. "…Kei, could…could I hug you?"

A scoff. "Was that so hard?" And then Kei opened her arms. "Of course you can."

I didn't even hesitate. All I did was jump.

Maybe it was my sleepiness talking. Or just the fact that I just wanted to say ' _thank you'_ in the only way I knew aside from words. But even if it felt like a tackle, I didn't even hear a protesting " _Oof,_ " on Kei's end. All the ninja did was catch me in the intended hug, squeezing my sides reassuringly, and a shaky smile found itself on my face.

It only lasted a few seconds, but it was worth it.

"…You really do like hugging, don't you?" Kei muttered, but I didn't miss the hint of warmth in her voice. "Even when waking up, you cling as hard as ever, Tomoko."

 _Heh heh._ I just giggled. "Well, you're snuggly, Kei, so I think I'm in good company."

The ninja pulled away to raise an eyebrow. "…snuggly?"

I nodded. "Snuggly!"

Kei looked more baffled than anything now, judging by the slight twitch of her eye. "…snuggly how?"

I blinked, then let go of the ninja to think on it.

What defined my version of 'snuggly' anyway?

…I wracked my head. Strangely, nothing came up.

"…Tomoko, you really don't have to think all that hard on it." Kei deadpanned a few minutes later.

A lighter version of the previous embarrassment flooded me as I turned to her with a sheepish face. "…But it looked like you were waiting on an answer, Kei, so I was trying to think up of one that didn't sound ridiculous."

Kei was giving me a flat look now. "…think we could just get back to unscrambling canon?"

Oh. Yeah. That.

There went the warm fuzzies. I'll see you guys another time.

"…I kinda wish we could bask in the moment of 'warm hugs all galore' for a few more seconds, but you bring up a good point." A sigh involuntarily left my lungs as I looked past my shoulder to glance around the room. "Where did you put the timeline, Kei?"

"In your closet," she answered immediately, and the unmistakable sound of a limb popping reached my ears as I got up to find it. I was sure that noise in particular didn't come from me, so I ended up looking behind me.

Kei had apparently started stretching her arms in the meantime I had finished asking my most recent question. If not for the familiar stretching pose, I probably would've been gaping like a dead fish.

The ninja, soon enough, noticed my wayward stare and blinked. "Hey, your hugs can be pretty tough, Tomoko. Mom may hit hard to maybe level 10, but you? Possibly level 2."

I was sure my eyebrow was twitching. "…Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

Kei blinked again before resting her hands in her lap. "Compliment would be best."

…And we were done there. I was _not_ in the mood to deal with more 'hug deconstructions'. Even if that seemed to be coming out as Kei's thing. I tried not to roll my eyes and instead walked over to throw the closet door open, and there it was.

Rolled up in all of its papery, big glory.

That timeline that I was ranting at for a while.

"…You did a good job putting it away, Kei." I said after a moment.

Behind me, the ninja seemed to smile, judging by her voice. "Hey, housework can really help out with that."

Nonetheless, I had to take it out. And deal with all the alien bullshit.

Another sigh left me, and then I reached over to take the whole roll into my arms. It wasn't all that heavy, considering it was just construction paper, but it still felt like a lot.

This one paper alone held as many details as Kei and I could remember of this world's future after all. We had to take good care of it.

I turned around, and was greeted with Kei's crooked smile.

"Time to handle those aliens, huh?" she said simply, having placed a hand on the table while waiting for me.

And even with the sense of dread filling me at the thought of what might happen in the future, I felt okay.

I had someone to plan along with me.

* * *

"…So I left off on _The Last_ , right?" Tomoko started, rolling out the paper onto the table again. Kei made sure to move the now empty tea cup to the side for the sake of accommodating said paper, holding back the urge to sigh herself.

"Yeah, about Toneri being redeemed before the world went wonky-donky-shit with _aliens_ ," she muttered dryly, holding back any temptation to throw her hands up in the air. Even if it seemed to be a good enough reason to freak out now, there was no need to get paranoid about something that would happen years into the future.

Tomoko just grinned sheepishly before pointing at another part of the timeline, specifically the unattended _Boruto_ bubble on the paper. "Thankfully, the aliens only really become a huge thing when Boruto is around though. After _the Last_ , Naruto married Hinata to have two kids, being Boruto and his little sister, Himawari. It was when…I think Boruto was actually 5-6 or something when Naruto became 7th Hokage. We were supposed to see it as a good thing, but…"

Kei raised an eyebrow. "Was it the aliens who came in first to ruin things or family drama?"

"Family drama," Tomoko concluded slowly, and Kei didn't miss the sympathetic look in her eyes while looking down at the _Boruto_ bubble. "I'm not really sure of what exactly happened, but even with Boruto having a better family background in comparison to Naruto himself, he still ended up hating Naruto quite a bit after taking on the Hokage mantle."

"…Why?" Kei asked dryly.

Tomoko gave a sad little shrug, frown on her face. "Naruto was always a workaholic, right? So add in the fact that he has his dream achieved, being Hokage, but reigning in a time where all the Shinobi Countries are finally collaborating with one another in ' _peace_ ,'" the civilian made air quotes around the word, sarcastically rolling her eyes. "Then it equals a _lot_ of paperwork and political meetings."

"And because Boruto is a brat that doesn't know any better, he's jealous of the fact that his dad is paying more attention to his job than him?" Kei deadpanned.

Tomoko nodded. "It's strange to think about considering that _Hinata_ is his mother, but Kishimoto wrote it off by saying Boruto inherited more of Naruto's characteristics and Himawari with Hinata's." A small scowl appeared on the girl's face. "Why couldn't he focus on Himawari though and instead deal with the rebellious kid…?"

Kei had a strange feeling that they had just hit upon one of Tomoko's many sore spots. "Leaving that note behind," she interrupted before the civilian could go into another rant. "How do the aliens come in then?"

Tomoko blinked before grabbing the only pencil on the table to draw a line from the _Boruto_ bubble, writing _Kaguya's Alien Relatives, Momoshiki and some other Ass_ at the end of it. It was strangely an apt description. "Momoshiki, and some other guy I can't remember the name of, actually came in when Boruto was dealing with his first Chunin Exams. Apparently these were the relatives that Kaguya was so afraid of because they wanted everybody's chakra for themselves."

"…Another power hunt?" Kei said slowly.

"Yep," Tomoko answered. "Anyways," she pointed at the _Momoshiki and some other Ass_ words on the paper. "By the time the original Boruto movie had started, apparently they had already captured Killer Bee and were in a fight with Sasuke."

"Wait, Tomoko," Kei interrupted, raising a hand. "Sasuke's still around?"

The civilian blinked, confusion apparent in her blue eyes before an embarrassed pink came across her face. "W-Wait, did I never cover that?"

"No," Kei answered, holding back a sigh.

"O-Oh," Tomoko said, and the pink became a bit darker on her face. "W-well," her voice went up by a notch in pitch, making it sound more squeaky. "By the end of the original manga, Naruto and Sasuke ending up losing their dominant arms to each other in the final battle, but Sasuke was officially redeemed. He just…never stayed in the village because he had to go on a wild _redemption journey_ around the world…or something?" She trailed off.

The ninja now had the heavy urge to just slam her head against the table. But that wouldn't help, so she opted to facepalm. "So Sasuke got redeemed, and is wandering the world for redemption, and what else? Protecting Konoha?" she said sarcastically.

"…Basically that." Tomoko said sheepishly.

" _Fuck_ Kishimoto," Kei said immediately, frown becoming almost a permanent thing on her face. "His redemption stuff is really getting ridiculous."

"…I'm sorry?" Tomoko added after a moment.

"Don't apologize, Tomoko." Kei responded, looking up from her hand with exasperation. "It's not your fault that bullshit stuff happened."

The civilian girl nearly wilted, looking down at the table before muttering, "That 'sorry' was out of sympathy…"

 _Ugh._ Kei felt more tired than ever now, diverting the topic. "…Anyways, this Momoshiki and some other Ass were fighting Sasuke before the Chunin Exams, right?"

Tomoko looked up before nodding, taking on a more serious expression. "Y-Yeah, and I'm not sure of the full details, but it was during the final round of said exams when they invaded Konoha. Sasuke at this time had already come back to the village to…ascertain the threat, I think, and the aliens literally caused the cancellation of the Chunin Exams because of their destroying the stadium."

"So, how does Boruto fit into this?" Kei asked.

Tomoko looked more upset now, judging by her frown. The civilian looked down at the _Boruto_ bubble while clearly clenching her fists. "…The thing is, it's because of Boruto that Naruto got captured by the aliens. His…well, jealousy of his Dad led to his using an illegal ninja device in the Chunin Exams, where you could basically input _any_ jutsu into it and reshoot it out as a stronger version, and when the aliens came, he tried to redeem his…well, disqualification in the Exams by firing said device jutsu at them."

"…which by the power of _aliens_ ," Kei waved a hand in the air for exaggeration points. "They absorbed enough power to capture Naruto in exchange for not harming Konoha?"

Tomoko had a sad, almost downtrodden expression on her face now. "…Yeah."

This wasn't looking good. Kei found herself speaking up. "…But they were able to beat the guys, right?"

The diverted topic, thankfully, had its effect of making the civilian brighten up, judging by the tentative smile on Tomoko's face. "After all Five Kages got involved in the fight, with Naruto and Sasuke being literal Bash Brothers towards Momoshiki? Then yes." The civilian sighed softly. "Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as killing the two, since Momoshiki somehow transformed his comrade, the named _Ass_ into a chakra fruit to eat for extra power, and it led to Boruto having to collaborate with his dad to make the biggest Rasengan ever to destroy the bastard. That's it."

"…That's it?" Kei said. "Isn't that…far too simple?"

Tomoko nodded. "That's it, until the _Boruto_ manga, which had only started when…" The civilian trailed off, averting her eyes. "When I went away, anyways. All I remember is an older Boruto facing some random dude on the crumbling remains of the Hokage Monument."

Kei facepalmed again. Then, she dragged her hand across her face before resting it under her chin to sigh deeply. "This is looking better and better," she said sarcastically.

Tomoko had gone silent, only nodding while fidgeting on her cushion.

Kei went on to just cross her hands behind her head, stretching for a minute. The tension was really starting to hurt, physically and mentally. "…Well. The important bit is, ' _What can we do about it?'_ "

The civilian looked up from her lap, a look of clear surprise on her face before stuttering. Whether it was from being put on spot again or her embarrassment at being caught off guard, Kei wasn't sure. "… _Tailed Beast Bomb_ all of them? Throw a galaxy-sized Rasengan at them? Because I don't know…" Tomoko started taking on a squeaky voice again. "Kishimoto didn't even know. He just wanted to get a honeymoon with his wife and spend time with his kids by the time Boruto happened!"

Kei raised a hand to stop the civilian from squeaking any further. It was already starting to sound a bit painful, so the ninja sighed. "Not about the aliens, Tomoko. About the things before that."

Tomoko seemed to be calming down from her little panic now, voice quieting. "…The things before that?"

Kei nodded, a small, lopsided grin on her face. "The things before that. If neither of us or Konoha make it until the alien invasion because something went weird a little _closer_ in the timeline, we'll never have to worry about it." She pointed to herself sarcastically. "So sayeth the girl with the doomed brother, remember?"

Tomoko wilted again, sheepish expression on her face. "…I'm sorry?"

Kei just gave the civilian a questioning look. "Why are you apologizing again?

She took a deep breath before relaxing her tense shoulders. "Um…I'm not really sure how to say this, but I'm sorry, Kei. I'm…I'm not really all that good at this informant stuff." Tomoko started fiddling with her thumbs before putting on a half self-deprecating, half cheerful smile. "But we'll do something! I'm sure! A-An anti-alien Konoha is better than canon Konoha!"

 _That's the spirit._ Kei thought in triumph.

The civilian did a small fist pump in the air. "Hopefully, we can do something to make it so no alien shit happens!" And then Tomoko paused, putting her hand down. "…not to mention in canon Konoha, Orochimaru…er…Orochimaru does live in the end and have a kid."

_What._

The warm fuzzies of determination had fizzled out faster than a dying candle with that revelation.

Kei blinked before rubbing her ear for a second. "…Who the hell was the other parent? Was there one?" she deadpanned.

I mean, who in all _fucks_ would want to _procreate_ with the slimeball?

There was a long pause. Tomoko blinked, clearly caught off guard before turning sheepish again. "…I'm just assuming that he did his experiment-shit, since he did wipe that son's memories at least 6-7 times before sending him off to Konoha to be in a team with Boruto and Sasuke and Sakura's daughter, Sarada…?" The civilian trailed off.

Kei couldn't blame her for giving up on explaining. She could already feel a headache on the horizon. "And it gets _worse_ ," she muttered.

"…he hasn't done anything yet as of right now," Tomoko responded, same dryness in her voice. "But we should try killing him?"

"If he wasn't so _fucking_ strong, I'd call dibs," Kei muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's because of him that so much of canon shit went to even _more shit._ Hell, it's indirectly because of that _overpowered snake_ that Hayate died in canon!" Red hot, boiling anger was running through her veins, but it wasn't the best time to act on it.

Tomoko blinked before reaching over to touch Kei's hand, sympathy showing in the blue orbs. The ninja looked at her before sighing, a bit more relief in the sound, quickly turning the gesture into a warm hand-hold. "…Thanks, Tomoko," she breathed.

The civilian smiled. "You're welcome, Kei." Tomoko squeezed Kei's hand softly before scooting herself and her cushion over across the floor, avoiding the table along the way, to lean against the ninja's shoulder. "…Well, we've at least established a few things so far."

Kei hummed, getting used to the new position of leaning against her right hand while resting her head on the civilian's hair. "Yeah?"

Tomoko used her open left hand to start counting off her fingers, starting with her pointer. "Number 1. Deal with the Third Shinobi World War and protect our loved ones."

"Sounds about right," Kei answered immediately.

"Number 2. Somehow get rid of Orochimaru and/or Danzo." Tomoko continued, folding down her middle finger before taking on a more deadpan expression. "…and I can't believe that I'm okay with saying this," she muttered in disbelief.

"Tomoko, those two are the worst of the worst of Konoha. You're practically an angel in comparison," Kei grinned, squeezing the girl's hand reassuringly. Thankfully, the ninja got a soft, satisfied hum in agreement.

"Number 3. Um…" The civilian paused, halfway into folding her ring finger. Then, Tomoko shifted on the cushion to look up at the ninja with confused eyes. "What else should we add to the list?"

Kei blinked before frowning in thought, closing her eyes. "…Make sure we both get to 20 years of age?" She said off the top of her head.

There was a pause.

"…I was actually hoping for 30 or something, Kei," Tomoko added quietly.

"Hey, start small and build up from there, right?" She answered immediately.

After all, her past self made it up to 20 before dying. Couldn't Kei wish for something similar?

"… _Muu_." Apparently not. The civilian just puffed her cheeks while folding her pinky instead of her ring finger. Was Tomoko jealous? Or just miffed? "Maybe make that number 4. I kinda don't want to start measuring life-spans after everything back in the old days."

The ninja opened her mouth before realizing there wasn't much to say to that, and closed it with a sheepish grin. "Point." Kei conceded, squeezing Tomoko's right hand again with her left. "So, what's number 3?"

"Find a way to deal with Black Zetsu and Madara?" Tomoko suggested.

Kei shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Tomoko paused again, looking down at her extended thumb — the only extended finger left on her left hand. "…What should be number 5? Because I don't know what should follow after '20 years of a good life' or something."

Kei blinked. "Do you have any ideas, Tomoko?"

To the ninja's surprise, the civilian flushed a light pink before nodding. "T-Thing is, it sounds _really_ embarrassing right now."

Kei just squeezed Tomoko's hand in quiet reassurance. "Hey, I'm not going to laugh, okay? Just go and say it."

Tomoko flushed a darker pink before returning the hand squeeze with much hesitance. "O-Okay…well, this is an optional thing if anything, but…I was thinking of maybe finding someone to love in the future?"

The resulting silence was so deep to where a pin could drop. Kei didn't really know what to say to that, and judging by the slight trembling in the civilian's figure, this seemed to be a little personal.

"…Why would you want that, Tomoko?" Kei asked, taking on the best gentle tone she could offer.

The civilian just raised a hand to start twirling a stray black hair around. The motion, although somewhat out of place, exposed more of her reddening ears and cheeks. Judging by the budding sweat on Tomoko's other hand, Kei could tell that she was nervous and waited.

Then, Tomoko spoke, voice quiet. "…I used to have a boyfriend once. Back before being reborn anyways."

 _Oh no._ Kei's heart dropped to her stomach. "…Did you love him?"

"More than anything…" Tomoko answered immediately, and judging by her shaking shoulders, Kei knew that this was an emotional moment. The civilian's chakra was already shivering wildly. "I…" Tomoko used the hand that was playing with her hair to instead wipe at her eyes, and Kei knew that she was wiping away the beginnings of tears. "I never got to say goodbye to him. So… I guess the whole thing about 'having someone to love'—maybe I could make up to him for that?"

The idea of seeing Tomoko cry again just seemed uncomfortable, so Kei just raised a hand close to the girl's waist and squeezed.

The result was expected.

"WAH!" The girl squealed before promptly letting go of the ninja's hand and scooting away by at least a few feet. "W-What was that for?!" Tomoko's face was a bright red.

Kei blinked. "Tomoko."

The civilian looked back hesitantly, scooting closer by about an inch. "…yes?"

A giant grin was showing up on the ninja's face now as she raised both hands menacingly. "You're _ticklish_?"

"…" Tomoko inched away again.

Kei got off her cushion and followed.

"…Don't, please," Tomoko muttered, scooting away at least a foot before hitting a wall.

Kei was far too gone to respond, grinning while approaching. The _Jaws_ theme may have been a good song to put in for the moment. "Tickling builds character, Tomoko-chan!"

" _Never_!" The civilian squealed back, standing up almost immediately to narrowly dodge Kei's wiggly fingers and run across the room. It then started a chasing game, with Tomoko running at least a few inches away from the ninja who was quickly gaining on her heels with each new second. "WHY ARE YOU CHASING ME?"

"JUST STOP AND YOU'LL FIND OUT!" Kei shrieked back.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, KEI!" Tomoko yelled out while attempting to quicken her pace.

"YOU DID ENOUGH TO WARRANT SOME TICKLES!"

…At least Kei was honest. She at least knew that she didn't like seeing the civilian upset anyways. One rant in the room was enough for the day.

And then the ninja caught the civilian in a backwards hug, sending them both spiraling towards the tiled floor in a heap. Once they got a landing, Kei didn't even give her friend a second to stop thinking before wiggling her fingers under the girl's sides.

_Here comes the birds!_

"WAAAAH~!" Tomoko squeed, shaky grin already on her face as she flailed on the ground. "K-KEI— _hee_ —S-Stop— _heehee_ —T-Tickling— _hahaha_ —me~!"

"Never!" Kei yelled back, grin on her face as she continued to squeeze the girl's sides. "You need some laughter in your system!"

Breathless laughter sounded afterwards.

That was what Hoshino Hikari ended up walking into when heading up to check in on her daughter. The woman just gave one look at the two fumbling girls before smiling softly to herself and re-closing the door.

 _I'll go make a good dinner then._ She thought happily while walking down the hallway. _I wonder what Keisuke-chan likes to eat…?_

* * *

Gekkō Keisuke found herself walking home later that night with a bright smile on her face. Whether it was from knowing that canon wasn't as convoluted as she thought with a friend by her side, or just from indulging in a well-deserved tickle session, no one really knew. She was just _really_ happy.

In fact, that was what Gekkō Wataru and Miyako later saw in the family room when welcoming their eldest child back.

"Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!" Kei yelled happily, running over to jump into their outstretched arms.

"Hey, Keisuke-chan!" Wataru hummed, immediately lifting her up in the air with Miyako at the side to watch. Hayate himself had just noticed his sister's homecoming, crawling over from his playspace in the living room to gurgle happily. "How was the visit?"

"It was great, Dad!" The young ninja hummed, wrapping her arms around Wataru's neck before he put her down. "I made a friend today!"

"…Do we know them?" Miyako interjected quietly, a warm smile on her face as she picked up the cooing Hayate in her arms.

"Maybe?" Kei responded, tilting her head. "Do you know Nagareboshi Cafe?"

Thankfully, the name rung a few bells in the adults' heads. "…Hmmm, I think I do." Miyako turned to her husband with a questioning glance. "Wataru?"

"Oh, sure," The ninja grinned while absently offering a hand to the gurgling Hayate to play with. "That's the place Judai runs, I think. Remember him?"

Miyako blinked. "Ah, yes. Doesn't he have a daughter…?"

Kei grinned. "Tomoko!"

Hayate, in the crevices of his mom's arms, squealed. "'Moko!" Then the three year old went on to reach his pudgy arms out to his older sister. "Kei! Kei!"

The named nin smiled happily before reaching back towards Hayate, and Miyako immediately kneeled down to let the siblings hug one another. "I'm guessing you want to visit her again, Kei-chan?"

Kei smiled again, this time a bit more hesitant while letting Hayate cling to her. "Yeah! I was actually thinking we all could go visit when the cafe's open! Judai-san said that we were welcome to come whenever we wanted!"

 _That's new._ Miyako and Wataru looked at one another.

_Should we go?_

_Why not?_ Wataru just grinned. _We'll see an old friend and I have a day off Monday._

Miyako smiled back before looking down at Kei and Hayate again. Apparently in the midst of their silent conversation of eyes, the three-year-old toddler was now standing on his feet, arms clinging to Kei's waist. The small ninja herself was looking up at the two adults with questioning black eyes. "…Is it okay, Mommy, Daddy?" Kei asked slowly.

Wataru grinned widely before kneeling down to take the two children in his arms. "Of course it's okay! We'll all go Monday!"

Miyako was already grinning herself before kneeling down and joining the group hug.

Meeting new and old friends sounded like a _great_ idea after everything going on outside the village.

* * *

It was around a hour near closing time on Monday that I heard them.

A familiar low yet happy voice rang through the cafe like wildfire.

"TOMOKO! WE'RE HERE!"

_Kei._

I turned my head, and sure enough, messy black hair and bright black eyes were in front of the door with two adults behind her and a small brunette toddler that looked familiar…

But by then, I was already running over with arms outstretched.

"KEI!" And then, I tackled her in a hug. Unlike the last few times though, she seemed prepared, taking on the force straight-on for just a moment before twirling me around. I literally couldn't feel the air under my feet as giggles involuntarily escaped my lips. "K-K-Kei~!"

…Though did my sandal…hit somebody? I think one did mid-twirl or something…since I did hear an "Ack!" behind me.

"Hello~" she hummed, twirling me around for at least two more circles before putting me down on my feet. "It's good seeing you again, Tomoko." And there was that lopsided grin.

Even with my gut feeling saying that something happened in the midst of that hug, I found myself smiling back. "It's good to see you~! I'm guessing you brought your family to—"

And then I was promptly tackled in the legs by a three-year-old.

"WAH!"

I promptly landed, rather ungracefully on my butt to add, on the tile floors of the cafe as the next thing I knew, round brown eyes were looking at me. "'Moko! Kei!" A small Gekkō Hayate squeed at me, pudgy hands lightly bopping me on the waist.

_Oh my._

"Hayate!" A different voice, this one more motherly and stern, sounded before the toddler was taken off me and a different hand was soon offered to me. I followed the sleeve up only to see Kei's sheepish grin.

"You okay there, Tomoko?" she said.

I reached up to grab her hand and accept her help of pulling myself up. "I-I'm okay. I guess that's what I should expect when I hug you now?"

Kei just smiled before motioning her shoulder upwards. I blinked and looked up, and _dear god._

The exact image of a Japanese woman and a ninja were staring down at me with varying degrees of interest and confusion.

All that went through my mind was _Parents. I just hugged Kei. In front of her parents._

And judging by the small sandal-shaped indent on the man's flak jacket, I may have accidentally just _kicked her father_ mid-hug too!

My mind properly short-circuited afterwards. Instead, what escaped me in the meantime of my mental 'Blue Screen of Death' was "W-Welcome to Nagareboshi Cafe! I-I'm sorry for acting out of line right there! I-I'm Hoshino Tomoko, your host for today!"

While I bowed my head so low to the point of seeing my own sandals.

_Ugh, best introduction ever._

It was when a hearty laugh sounded that I finally raised my head and got myself out of the mental 'Blue Screen of Death.' The man seemed to be laughing, and for the first time that night, I could finally get a good look at Kei's family. And…well, I could see the resemblance.

Kei's mom looked to be around 5 foot 3, sharing the same black hair as my friend. The only difference in hair style was that she had more fluffy, unspiked hair, long ponytail softly swishing against her neck. Adding in her angular eyes looking at me in curiosity, her almost white skin, and the formal lavender yukata, Mrs. Gekkō was the spitting image of a _Yamato Nadeshiko._

On the other hand, Kei's dad. I wasn't really sure how to describe him, but with one word? _Scruffy._ Even with the bright Konoha headband tied around his forehead and the green Konoha flak jacket, he seemed to give off this cheerful vibe that I didn't get from other ninja clientele. Adding in his stubble, really short ponytail, and cowlicks that echoed Kei's, it didn't look like he was someone I had to fear. Even if he was taller than his wife by about a head or so.

I think. The singe marks on his sleeves and shirt hems were _really_ hard to miss though.

And then Hayate himself. He was currently nestled in the arms of Mrs. Gekkō, raising a pudgy, jacket sleeve arm out towards me, squealing "'Moko! 'Moko!" in an adorable babyish voice.

Before I knew it, Kei was pushing me forward with one hand. "Mom, Dad, Haa-chan," she declared in a happy voice. "This is Hoshino Tomoko, my new friend!"

"Um…hello?" I tried again, waving a hesitant hand while hoping that this introduction at _least_ would be a bit better.

The Sylveon kimono dress may or may not have been helping with the whole 'meeting new people' situation. Heck if I know.

Mrs. Gekkō blinked before kneeling down to my height with a kind smile, bouncing the little toddler that was Hayate in her arms ( _ohmigod, how can a baby be so cute_ ). "It's very nice to meet you, Tomoko-chan. I'm Gekkō Miyako, Kei-chan's Mom. You can call me 'Miyako-bachan' if you want."

I blinked. And then found a deep red running across my face immediately as my childish side and 18-year-old college student mind both came into agreement.

 _Does that really work?! You're, like,_ _ **super**_ _pretty!_

But before I could stop myself, I found myself opening my mouth. "U-Um…Miyako-bachan?"

Miyako-san seemed to just _preen_ at the words as she just smiled at me again, more sincerity in her voice. "Yes?"

I found myself turning to Kei and literally burying my face into her jacket to hide the embarrassed blush on my face. While ignoring her initial squawk of surprise.

" _Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod_ , this feels really embarrassing~" was what left my mouth in muffled whimpers against Kei's shoulder. "Kei~! Why~?!"

My ninja friend seemed more perplexed than anything. "T-Tomoko?"

"Kei~!" I repeated hoarsely, wanting the ground to swallow me up right then and there. "Why~?"

_Whyme, whyme, whyme, whyme, whyme—_

Before I could think on it anymore, Kei decided to turn me around ( _again_ ) to only get a faceful of happy ninja.

"Well, Tomoko-chan, I'm Gekkō Wataru! Keisuke-chan's absolutely _awesome_ dad!" Wataru-san grinned, pointing an eager thumb at himself.

_Meep._

"What's going on out here?" All that registered in my mind was _Papa,_ and I turned away from the very happy Mr. Gekkō in front of me to instead look in the direction of the new voice, relief flooding the previous shyness almost immediately.

"Papa!"

Yep. Two-toned brown hair, green work kimono with the red hemmed jacket and pants, and warm brown eyes. "Tomoko-chan, it's almost closing time. What are you doing out here—" He trailed off as soon as he looked up and made eye contact with Mr. Gekkō.

A long pause.

"…Wataru?" Papa said slowly, eyes wide with surprise.

"…Judai?" Mr. Gekkō replied back.

I looked at Kei, who just gave me a shrug in return. Then we returned to looking up at the two men.

The last thing we were expecting was the two to just fist bump and yell out happy greetings.

"Wataru! Man, it's been awhile!" Papa said happily, high-fiving Wataru-san in earnest. "How long has it been?"

"Too long, man!" Wataru-san beamed back, and for once, I didn't find myself freezing up at the sight of his smile. "Who'd have thought you'd set up here?"

"Hey, time flies!" Papa crowed, and he went on to lock arms with Wataru-san before giving a glance towards Miyako-san. "Oh, hey to you too, Miyako! You look great!"

Apparently Miyako-san, no, Miyako- _bachan_ , was completely used to this whole exchange and just smiled serenely while bouncing Hayate again. "It's good seeing you again, Judai," she said softly. "You've been well."

"…Kei?" I started meekly.

The ninja just turned to look at me. "Yeah, Tomoko?"

I glanced at her with wide eyes. "Did you know that your parents, well, _knew_ Papa?"

Kei just shrugged. "Had a feeling, but not to this extent. Still, a ninja is supposed to look underneath the underneath, right?"

"…Did you just throw a _Kakashi_ quote at me?" I said slowly.

Kei gave me a lopsided grin.

I just giggled, finally feeling my shoulders relax. This is what it should be. Not me, well, getting shy and everything. This was supposed to be a relaxing evening. "Well, since you're all here, how about I get to that concert that I promised? My treat."

"…Have anything Disney-related?" Kei asked curiously.

Ooh, now _that_ was something I hadn't heard in awhile. I grinned. "Of course! _Beauty and the Beast_ work?"

"'Meast!" Hayate squeaked, having somehow waddled out of Miyako-bachan's arms to us. Kei didn't hesitate in picking him up, and I just giggled, hiding it behind my kimono sleeve.

"Majority rules, I guess." Kei shrugged, but I couldn't miss the bright grin on her face.

" _A Tale as Old as Time,_ then~!" I hummed, pulling on her hand to bring her into the cafe.

Show Time!

* * *

On the sidelines of the cafe, Hoshino Hikari watched her daughter bring Keisuke-chan to the stage happily, a glint in her eye.

Things were finally starting to look up if Tomoko-chan could already make a friend on her own without too much guidance. The pianist did worry her on occasion with how shy she could be to some customers.

But with that scene in mind? Tomoko-chan ushering Keisuke-chan and what appeared to be her little brother and all, with that happy smile?

It felt like the violinist had nothing to worry about.

The last thing Hikari was expecting at that moment though was for Gekkō Miyako to slide in next to her, watching her children with the same, careful eye. Despite being a civilian, Hikari had at least seen the woman around in Konoha, and with such lovely looks, a lot of the surrounding men did gossip at least.

Hikari just wasn't sure of what to make of her since Miyako never did visit the cafe or Hikari herself in her old, lone violinist days. The formal lavender yukata made the civilian woman feel somewhat strange in comparison with the bright pink sakuras standing out on her black kimono.

Nonetheless, the two women were standing next to each other, at least a few inches apart, watching the scene play out in front of them.

…While their husbands were out doing something. Hikari wasn't sure, but considering the fact that Judai immediately went to the bar to make Wataru-san something to drink…well, it was a guy talk. Not really a best time for a woman to come in.

Some of the things she could overhear from the leftover clutter that was nighttime at Nagareboshi was a bit strange though.

"What have you been up to, man?"

"Oh, y'know. Blowing things up, getting ink on everything else. Same old, same old."

…Sometimes, Hikari questioned how she was able to handle ninja if it meant their talking like that. Judai himself was originally an oddball all on his own. But _this_?

Nonetheless, she turned to the only other woman her age in the room.

"We both…have very interesting husbands, huh?" she tried gently.

Miyako blinked before turning to her, curiously inclining her head in Hikari's direction. "It appears so. Your cafe…"

Hikari blinked back. "Yes?"

Miyako seemed to be looking more and more stiff with each passing second, even if the yukata hid it pretty well. "Tell me…do you serve traditionally brewed green tea? I would like to see your technique, if I could."

Now _that_ wasn't something Hikari was expecting. Formulating her words carefully, the woman took a moment to think before opening her mouth. "Um…we do. I'm still practicing, but I'll be happy to show you!" Inwardly, she was squealing out of excitement. Outwardly, Hikari smiled happily.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad. And Tomoko-chan seemed to be having fun, so why not?

Miyako bowed her head slightly in the woman's direction. "Much obliged, er…"

"Hikari," she answered softly, grinning. "Hoshino Hikari. And you?"

The former ninja smiled in return, a warm light entering her eyes. "Miyako. Gekkō Miyako. It's nice to meet you, Hikari-san."

* * *

This was shaping up to be a good day in Gekkō Wataru's opinion. He had a day off from missions ( _for once!_ ), could play with both of his children as much as he wanted to, and even head out to a new cafe to meet an old friend!

Even with a small bit of stubble himself, Yuki - now Hoshino - Judai looked like he hadn't changed one bit. The two-tone brown hair was already a dead ringer, but the wide, happy grin that mirrored his own?

Wataru missed this.

"So…" Judai started, sending a shot glass of apple cider his way. "What have you been up to, man?"

The ninja swirled his new cup for a moment, looking up at the bar ceiling in contemplation. "Oh, y'know. Blowing things up, getting ink on everything else. Same old, same old."

Judai just raised an eyebrow at him before sliding into the chair next to him, cider bottle at the side. "Sounds like you've been through shit."

Wataru grinned. "Eh, it's exciting shit." Then he took a sip. "Holy—Judai, this tastes great! Are you sure this is just _cider?_ Where did you get it?"

The former ninja smirked, miming the motion of zipping up his lips. "Trade secret."

"Judai~!" he whined.

"Now _that_ I haven't heard in quite a while." Judai went on to pour a bit of cider for himself, downing the tiny shot glass in mere seconds. "But hey, I'd prefer this than alcohol these days."

… _Oh._ His old friend seemed so happy to where Wataru had almost forgotten.

The way Judai was slumped in his seat, left hand absently twirling the shot glass was reminiscent to a younger Judai he once knew. Heck, if not for the happy smile on his face, Wataru would've thought he was seeing a blast from the past.

Wataru bit his lip before looking down at his shot glass for a second. Even with the bright music filling the cafe in mere moments, it wasn't fully reaching him with the thoughts recurring in his head.

"…Wataru? Everything alright?" A strong hand landed on his shoulder, and Wataru looked up just to see Judai's concerned brown eyes.

When had those eyes ever been so _alive?_

Without even meaning to, the words left his mouth. "Hey, Judai, what convinced you retire after all those years?"

Even with the piano music and bright laughter from the center of the cafe filling the area, it was as if a cold wind had passed through them. Judai blinked, clearly taken aback from the question before going back to his seat, a more melancholic aura surrounding him. "…So you were curious, huh?" the man stated finally.

"Yeah, I was." Wataru replied softly, very tempted to reach over and put an arm around the former nin's shoulders. "The way things happened after that last mission together…Miyako-chan and I were both really worried, you know? You never did get back to us."

It could've been yesterday, the Second Shinobi World War. And here Konoha was, looking like it was going to start the Third a few years off the previous one's end.

"…Sorry for worrying you guys," Judai said finally after a moment, pouring himself some cider again to sip. "It was honestly a lot to handle at the time."

"No worries, man," _Screw it,_ Wataru just went with his instincts, finally putting an arm around his old friend's shoulders. "But still, what exactly happened that made you…well," Wataru put a hand to his stubble in thought, trying to find words.

A soft chuckle left Judai instead. "—What happened that made me look a lot better compared to all those years ago?"

"Yeah!" Wataru immediately jumped on the wagon, hoping his old friend wouldn't notice his mental mishap. He was hoping to come up with some meaningful word, but honestly? The new music piece in the cafe may have already started to get to him. "Not that I don't mind the change —no, Judai, you honestly look a _whole_ lot more awesome—" Oh great, he's rambling again—

"—Thanks," Judai interrupted, amused tone in his voice.

"—But still!" Wataru threw an energetic hand in the air. "What did it? What made you better again?"

 _Because I know a few people who might need that too._ He thought.

Judai blinked, brown eyes wide with surprise again, before a slow, soft smile came across his face. Then, the retired nin simply gestured with his shot-glass hand behind them, extending his pointer finger in that direction. "You're hearing her right now."

Wataru turned his head, and had to immediately hold back any urge to just say, "AW~!"

Keisuke-chan and _Hayate_ , dancing in their own childish way on the stage, smiling brightly. Even with matching dark hoodies and the soft spotlight, the angle made them look so _cute…_

It was probably helped by the fact that Kei was bouncing Hayate on her heels while spinning around that made the image.

And at the center was Hoshino Tomoko herself, playing the piano positively _beaming._ Adding in the rather bright kimono dress and the stage spotlight, she looked almost radiant at the center of it all, playing a song that could've come out of a noble's ballroom or something. The wide smile and almost energetic movements from her hands just made it all.

Wataru felt his heart softening almost immediately before turning back to his old friend. Judai was staring after the sight of Tomoko, and he couldn't miss the amount of _love_ in the retired nin's eyes. The brown that used to become pure steel in the old days of battle was now a warm, deep chocolate looking after the child. "You know? It was pretty bad after that last mission, Wataru. But…"

"But you met Hikari?" Wataru finished solemnly.

Judai looked at him, blinking, before chuckling softly and taking a sip of his cider. "Yeah, I did." Those same brown eyes went on to look in another direction, and Wataru looked up only to see Hikari herself conversing with Miyako happily. Judging by their figures, Miyako herself seemed to be enjoying it, if her relaxed shoulders were anything to go by. A sigh sounded next to him, and Wataru turned only to see Judai take on a more nostalgic kind of aura. "…Hikari was the first step in helping things get better. But it was only when Tomoko-chan was born that I knew."

"You knew that you had to protect her?" Wataru added softly.

To the ninja's surprise, Judai shook his head, taking another sip of cider before turning his attention back to the center stage. "More than that, Wataru. I knew I at least wanted to be _there_ for her."

Wataru…didn't know what to say to that. He could at least understand the feeling, especially when looking at Keisuke-chan and Hayate. Why else would he plan to head out to the border in the next mission? If it meant protecting his kids, then he wouldn't care about dying.

But, judging by the serious look in Judai's eyes, that wasn't exactly what was on his mind. "… _Johan_ taught me that dying for someone else is meaningless if all it does is create more sadness and suffering, Wataru." The old name made his blood freeze almost immediately.

 _Judai's well enough to talk about_ _**him** _ _again?_

There was a soft pause. "How could I continue to be a ninja if it meant making that little girl," Judai took a shaky breath, and Wataru followed the line of his eyesight only to land on the scene of Tomoko giggling alongside Kei while holding Hayate in her lap. "My _little girl_ , cry?"

Wataru just didn't know what to say at that point. "Judai…"

"If losing _Johan_ was bad enough for me, Wataru, how would losing _me_ be for Hikari and Tomoko-chan?" Judai clenched his fist tightly, looking down at it with grim determination. "There's no way I could put them through that. There's no way I could bear the idea of possibly dying out there when I know I have a family to return to."

A long pause followed.

Wataru took in a deep breath. "…Wow," was all that he could say.

Judai blinked before taking another nonchalant sip of cider, letting his shoulders relax. "…Well, there's my story. From the looks of it, you're shocked?"

"…Yeah, I am," Wataru concluded, shot glass cold in his hand now. "I guess…"

_Should I head out to the border now after hearing all that? Should I really risk my life in another war when it means…_

The memory of Miyako's first ever smile at him went through his head.

And Wataru, for the first time in a while, didn't know what to do.

He was thankfully broken out of his thoughts by Judai's long sigh. "Well, man, on that…iffy note, I just want you to know that I'm fine, okay?" Wataru looked up only to see his old friend grin. "There's no need for you or Miyako to worry that much now."

Wataru forced a smile back. "Y-Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

Unfortunately, even as a retired nin, Judai was still perceptive, noticing the fake grin almost immediately. "…You don't have to hide it y'know, Wataru."

He did his best to hold back a flinch.

Judai just swirled another cup of cider in his hand before downing it again, raising his other hand to pat Wataru's back. Even though it was a rather large hit, it still felt somewhat reassuring. "All that I've said so far is my choice. And it's really up to you if you ever want to make that decision for yourself, alright? No need to feel pressured or something like that."

Wataru blinked.

Judai looked up at him with a softer smile, white teeth more visible now. "It's your life, Wataru. So, you have the choice in doing what you want to do, alright?"

He didn't even realize his shoulders were relaxing until Judai reached over to pat one. Wataru breathed out softly. "…Thanks, man."

Judai gave him a more happy, cheery grin that was reminiscent of the old Judai. "No problem. Anyways, how about you tell me about your misadventures? You said you've been doing exciting shit, right?"

Topic averted, and Wataru found himself brightening.

Kitano Town might be something he might talk about another day.

The music was sounding _really_ nice right now, and he had an old friend here in front of him.

Why not get back into a good mood.

"Definitely exciting shit, man!" Wataru crowed, feeling more free than any bird. "So you've heard of that one bomb chain that went off in the border—"

It was a peaceful night at Nagareboshi Cafe. Just like it was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: A lot of brainstorming, academic stuff, and etc just ended up delaying this chapter quite a bit. Still I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'm still working on Chapter 37 of Civilian Pianist, but it should be done in the next few days! Hope you're happy with this!
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to sleep and then get back to college work! (Again!)


	5. Innocence Worth Protecting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything or anybody except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Half if not most of the characters mentioned belong to Lang Noi, so please go support her and Kei in Catch Your Breath and Ocean Stars Falling!
> 
> The theme for this chapter is HollowRiku's piano cover of Winnie the Pooh/Bounce-O-Rama from Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. With a lot of the fluff that goes in this chapter, the theme was just fitting. And seriously - toddler Hayate? Adorable. Tomoko will surely agree with me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 5: Innocence Worth Protecting_

"'Moko! 'Moko!" A three-year old Hayate cooed, pudgy hands reaching out for me.

A happy sigh left me as I just offered my own hand to the toddler, revelling in his tight grip on my fingers. "It's _Tomoko_ , Hayate-chan. _Tomoko_ , not 'Moko, okay?"

"Toko! Toko!" Hayate babbled instead, babyish smile on his face as he squeezed my fingers again.

 _Close enough._ Playing with such a cute toddler was already the human equivalent of heaven to me. I tried to not squeal and instead just put on my brightest grin to send back to the boy.

Still.

How did I end up here again?

* * *

"…I kinda wish you guys could stay longer. It was fun," Papa bemoaned, tired grin on his face. In response, I found myself laughing nervously while patting his hand in sympathy.

I would've felt the same if not for the fact that it was already 10:30 in the evening.

In response, Wataru-san chuckled, lightly bouncing the slumping Hayate in his arms before offering a raised fist. "It was fun, man. We should meet up again when nothing's going on outside the village. Promise on that."

Papa blinked before shaking his head good-naturedly and fist-bumping Mr. Gekkō happily. " _When_ nothing's going on, Wataru. Remember that."

Wataru-san pouted. Or at least, as much as one he could do given his stubble and rather taut face. "You just _had_ to bring the reality back in, didn't you?"

"Hey," Papa said with a shrug, "Being in charge of a small family business does that to you."

Wataru-san just mumbled something unintelligible. In the meantime, Miyako-bachan just smiled serenely before extending her arms in a silent gesture to hold Hayate. The man just looked at her with a raised eyebrow before bouncing Hayate again. "…Haa-chan?"

In response, the small toddler in the ninja's arms just let out a babyish groan before snuggling into the crook of his father's neck.

 _So cute~!_ I had to use my kimono sleeve to hide the incoming squeal.

Kei in the meantime gave me a sleepy look of confusion before yawning. "M' sleepy. Stop bein' so loud…"

I blinked. "…Kei, we weren't even that loud."

Papa just chuckled before putting a hand on my head. "Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan," he mused softly. "It's late at night. Of course Kei-chan would be sleepy."

… _Am I the weird one out of this then?_ I looked up at him with a questioning glance as Papa continued to smile. "Okay…?" Then I turned back to Kei, smiling sheepishly. "Will I see you again, Kei?"

The future ninja seemed to perk up at my question, blinking before giving me a tired, lopsided grin back. "Of course you will. I'll try to visit once or twice a week. Is that fine?"

"Of course it is," I answered immediately, feeling the smile on my face become more genuine. "You're always welcome here, Kei. When you need me, I'm right here."

"Good to know…" she then trailed off as another yawn left her mouth. The eye-bags were becoming more and more prominent on her face, and the soft lights of the cafe didn't help with them at all. If anything, they seemed darker now as Kei rubbed an eye with her hand before tilting her head at me. "Well, I guess we'll be heading off now…"

"Be safe on the way home, Kei," I said, waving a hand in her direction.

"Yeah…" she trailed off again, covering another yawn with her hand while waving back at me with the other. "See you later, Tomoko."

Above me, Mama loomed with a happy smile. "I'll see you again soon too, Miyako-san."

In response, Mrs. Gekkō nodded, a more formal smile on her face. "Thank you for the lovely evening, Hikari-san."

And with a bow (and a hearty wave on Wataru-san's part), the Gekkō Family left, almost disappearing into the small crowd out in the night.

Even with the soft moonlight, I could barely see Kei's retreating figure in the distance when looking out past the cafe doors.

Ninja seemed to almost always disappear quietly, even in the dark of night.

A hand soon landed on my shoulder.

"C'mon, Tomoko-chan," Papa murmured softly. "Let's get inside and get some sleep."

* * *

It was a few days later, on a Wednesday afternoon that I saw Kei again. This time, I wasn't even at the piano, instead helping Mama carry orders to the various tables when I saw her.

Even with the light blue hoodie and black shinobi pants, there was no mistaking that messy black hair and dark eyes.

"Tomoko!" Kei seemed to brighten up at the sight of me, waving a hand while walking into the cafe. If she was slouching when initially opening the doors, it didn't seem to be the case now. "Hey!"

"K-Kei?" She had actually come in when I was in the middle of delivering a cake, so I made sure to drop it off at the assigned table before running over. "Kei!"

And then I threw myself at her in a hug.

Apparently this was going to be a thing now. Even if I was somewhat capricious with my timing.

"O-Oi, Tomoko—!" Was all I heard before slamming into her. It wasn't even a graceful landing, since I collided with her in such a way so that our shoulders clashed somewhat painfully before I could properly wrap my arms around her neck.

…And by then, I think Kei stumbled to the point of nearly falling onto a nearby counter.

_Oops._

The last thing I was expecting was warm laughter. When I pulled away to look at her, Kei was eagerly grinning at me while resting a hand on my head. "Hey," she said simply.

"…Hello?" I replied, confusion seeping into my voice. "And you're…you're already used to this, Kei?"

Now I know there can be other, better subjects to focus on, but I'm being completely serious here.

Was I already becoming predictable? I mean, I know hugs are my thing, but really?

She gave me an expression caught between a smirk and her usual lopsided grin. "Tomoko, you've done this every time you see me. I have to get used to it, being a ninja and all."

_Darn. So the element of surprise is gone already?_

I pouted. She just chuckled lightly before resorting to patting my head. "It's good to see you again, though."

Warmth filled me almost immediately as I smiled back. "It's good to see you, Kei."

But the moment couldn't last forever since the position we were in was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Adding in Kei's darker-than-usual eye bags and how she was leaning most of our combined weight on just one arm, the idea was quickly losing its warmth. With a sigh, I pushed myself off her before offering a hand. "Well, I owe you a song now, don't I?"

Kei blinked at me before taking my hand and pulling herself up, grinning nonetheless. "I didn't do anything this time, Tomoko. So you don't really owe me anything—"

"—Nonsense," I interrupted, jutting out my lip in protest while putting my hands on my hips. "As of today, you're a regular at Nagareboshi. So I _do_ owe you something every time I see you."

"…That's going a bit far, don't you think?" Kei deadpanned.

I glanced at her before giggling into my kimono sleeve. "Hey, you're my friend, Kei. I think I have the right to make a few exceptions in my job description." Then, I turned towards the back, cupping a hand around my mouth before taking a breath. " _I CAN MAKE A FEW EXCEPTIONS, RIGHT PAPA?_ "

The answer came almost immediately, bouncing off the walls and understandably making a few co-workers jump for a second. " _AS LONG AS YOU DON'T KILL ANYBODY, YOU'RE GOOD, TOMOKO-CHAN!_ "

… _Huh?_

"Uh…I'm not gonna kill anybody, Papa…" Sigh. I turned back to Kei, only to find her gaping, jacket collar clearly drooping from the crook connecting her neck and shoulder. "Kei?" I asked.

My friend just blinked before shaking her head, a more tired smile on her face now. "You know what? I'm just not going to ask anymore."

"Kei…" I started. What was she even thinking of in the first place?

Before I could say anything else, she raised a hand to stop me. "Just don't, Tomoko-chan. Don't." Kei said, a tone of finality in her voice. "And besides, think we could get started on that song?"

Oh yeah. Still need to do that. Guess the hug adrenaline was still running through me without an end in sight.

"Well," I shrugged, reaching over to hold Kei's hand. "What kind of song are you looking forward to?"

"Could you surprise me?" She replied slowly, trailing behind me more than actually walking as I pulled on her hand, her shoulders visibly slouching. "Haven't been doing well on sleep."

…

Hold the phone. Rewind here.

Sleep? Kei wasn't _sleeping?_

_What. The. Heck._

" _Sleep_?" I said incredulously, finally getting close enough to the piano so that I could take my place on the piano bench and sit Kei next to me. The seat for customers could be used for someone else. With the way my friend was stumbling, I was _not_ trusting her to be able to keep herself steady on that chair. Leaning against me sounded like a better idea. "Kei, what's going on?"

Didn't reincarnation as a kid mean getting _9 or more hours of sleep_ if it mean growing properly? So then why was Kei dealing with this? It would certainly explain the dark eye bags...

My friend unfortunately had already closed her eyes, head bobbing up and down before she could reply. "…M' going to explain later…" she muttered, looking very close to dozing off. "Just…something would be nice."

The worry was already flooding me before she even finished that last sentence. But being in the middle of a crowded cafe did _not_ equal squeaking out loud worries, so I did my best to push it back to the dark corners of my head. The many song choices rolled through my mind as I rested my hands on the keys.

"…Kei, you're free to take a nap whenever you want to." I found myself saying before letting the music speak for itself.

For once, my mind didn't think of anything anime, manga, or video game related.

Instead, all I could imagine was one man, playing his own song at a waterfall.

 _Jon Schmidt. The Piano Guys. Waterfall._ I let my hands move without thinking, playing the soft yet vibrant tune while bobbing my head to the beat. My feet knew which pedal to press and when to do so, and the resulting tune felt almost like a _master-stroke._

My body knew exactly how to spell out each note without my having to think on it too much. It was because of that fact alone that I could take in everything else. Kei's presence next to me, significantly dulled due to the sleepiness. Mama and Papa, bustling around the cafe and taking orders. The hired help, working about the cafe, whether it was in the kitchen, bar, and customer service.

The music, filling my ears with the warmth of the piano strings and nostalgic memories.

It had only been a few minutes, but by the time I had finished the song, I opened my eyes to find Kei leaning her head against my shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her eyebrows relaxed, and her hair gently drafted her face as the winds passed through the cafe. Alongside her soft, relaxed breathing, it was easy to see that my ninja friend had fallen asleep.

How she found my shoulder comfortable, I had no idea.

I know I was hoping for her to take a nap, but leaning on me? I was actually not expecting her to take my stray thought seriously.

It was even stranger to think about since my arms were constantly moving while playing the piano. So the fact that she had settled for my moving, twitching shoulder for a pillow out of all things was something that really baffled me.

But instead of squealing like my first instinct was thinking of, I found myself smiling softly before turning to the piano again and playing another tune.

Kei needed some peace from the looks of it.

_Linus and Lucy._

_All of Me._

_The Afternoon Streets._

_All Our Days._

_Butterfly._

_Just the Way You Are._

_Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star._

By the time I was about done with the _Pokémon Center Theme_ from the original Generation I Pokemon games, the soft winds and sunlight in the cafe dwindled to a cold breeze and waning heat.

The outside sky was already fading into nightfall when Wataru-san wandered into the cafe.

Even with the obvious singe marks on his person and the telltale signs of exhaustion in his figure, he brightened up at the sight of us, quickly running over to the center of the stage with a wide grin.

Had he just come back from a mission?

"Hey, Tomoko-chan!" he stage-whispered after having knelt to my height, cupping a hand around his mouth as to not disturb the slumbering Kei on my shoulder. "How have you been?"

"Just fine, Wataru-san," I attempted to smile back despite feeling the blood in my shoulder fade a bit more with each passing second. "Making myself comfortable here, really."

The ninja glanced at Kei for a moment before his gaze softened. "I see," he then turned back to me with a softer smile. "Anyways, Tomoko-chan, where's your dad? I was hoping to talk to him really quick."

Despite my limited mobility, I used my other hand to motion towards the back. "Just call out to him, Wataru-san. Papa can hear you. Just…er…" I turned my head in Kei's direction, grinning sheepishly. The ninja thankfully continued to snore, undisturbed. "Be careful of…?"

"I know, Tomoko-chan," Wataru-san straightened his back before sending me one last smile. "Watch over Kei-chan for me a bit longer, okay?"

 _Honestly, she's been sleeping for a good one and a half hours. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt._ But I didn't voice it. Even if I did, Wataru-san was already far away from the stage.

I decided to watch out of plain curiosity, ignoring the soft tickle of mochi reaching my nose.

The ninja walked over to the back doors connecting the kitchen and the bar, knocking cheerfully. "Judai? Judai?"

Immediately, a reply sounded from behind the mahogany wood. "…Wataru?" Papa's voice sounded a bit muffled from combination of the distance and Kei's messy hair shadowing a bit of my ear, but it was still happy. "Hey!"

Mr. Gekkō inclined his head in my direction, smiling eagerly, before putting his hand on the doorknob and twisting it open. With a quick stride, all I could see was his small, tufty ponytail before he disappeared behind the doors.

A few minutes then passed, accompanied by Kei's soft breathing, before anything else happened.

Then, Wataru-san walked out of the back room, arm around Papa's shoulders as they both were chuckling about something. What about, I didn't know. We were too far away to hear anything. From what I could see though, they were quickly walking over in Mama's direction, and then they made an adult-shaped huddle mass that I couldn't really distinguish from each other aside from brightly colored clothes.

Another few minutes. Kei continued to snore away against my shoulder.

Then, the adult-shaped mass broke apart into that of Wataru-san and my parents, all three walking over in our direction. Judging by their bright smiles, something good must've happened.

Mama was the first to reach us at the piano before leaning down to my height. "Tomoko-chan, how do you feel about going over to Kei-chan's house this upcoming Saturday?"

 _Huh?_ I didn't have time to fully think the idea over before Kei chose that moment to wake up.

"… _Muargh_ …Huh?" she yawned blearily, lifting her head off my shoulder. "What's this I hear about…" Another loud yawn, barely covered by her intercepting hand. "My house?"

"Hello, Kei-chan," Wataru-san added softly, kneeling down to look at her with warm eyes. "We were just talking about inviting Tomoko-chan and her family over to the house for dinner on Saturday. How do you feel about that?"

"Hey, Dad…dinner?" she mused tiredly, rubbing her eyes with a hand before glancing at me. "Are you okay with it, Tomoko?"

 _How could I say no to that face?_ I couldn't help but think. Kei, even after a nap, still had yet to fully wake up, blinking at me slowly while tilting her head. Even with her lighter eye bags and messy black bed-head (or shoulder-head considering the circumstances as to which she slept), my friend honestly looked cute. Instead of hugging her like I was thinking of, I instead nodded happily. "Of course I'm okay with it."

"Great…!" Kei trailed off, yawning again.

Wataru-san snorted before gently placing a hand against Kei's arm. "How about we head home now, Kei-chan? Mom's waiting with dinner."

"Okay…" She muttered back, jumping off the piano bench with ease. Before hugging Wataru-san, Kei turned back to me with warm eyes, reaching out to touch my hand. "Thanks for the songs, Tomoko-chan." That familiar lopsided grin was back, even if it had a tinge of exhaustion in it. "It was fun."

I just squeezed her hand back, smiling brightly. "It was fun too, Kei. I'll see you Saturday~!"

She nodded in my direction before letting go and getting properly piggybacked by Mr. Gekkō to head out of the building.

This was probably the third time I would see Kei leave Nagareboshi Cafe.

It always seemed like every time she left, there was always something new to look forward to.

"Well, that settles it," Papa decided, proud tone in his voice. "We have a meeting set for Saturday!"

* * *

Well, I guess that explains how I ended up here.

Playing with a small Gekkō Hayate while the adults were talking with one another at the dinner table.

"Toko! Toko! Let's play! Let's play!" He called happily, still fiddling with my fingers.

"Oh, Kei-chan, you're so lucky…" I found myself musing absently, wiggling my fingers in a way to make the boy laugh. "How you can live with such an adorable little brother is beyond me…"

Nearby, Kei just snorted before reaching over to ruffle her brother's hair. "Said adorableness is why I plan to protect him, you know. He is kinda cursed."

"Cursed…?" Hayate looked confused as he looked towards his older sister. "Cursed how?"

Kei just shook her head, grinning. "Another day, Haya-chan. Another day."

Now I was wondering whether or not Kei's earlier comment was as innocent as it sounded. I tilted my head towards her. "Kei?"

The future ninja just glanced at me before shaking her head again, her smile a bit more solemn. "Another time, Tomoko."

"But I wanna know now!" Hayate pouted, puffing his cheeks.

"You're too young to know now, Haa-chan," Kei admonished firmly with a raised pointer finger, grinning.

"But I'm three, Kei-nee!" he retorted, trying to look proud with his hands on his hips. Unfortunately, all it did was make him look _more_ adorable. "I'm big enough!"

Kei snorted again. "We'll see about that."

 _Ohmigod, he's so cute!_ I couldn't help myself. I just reached over and pinched his cheeks.

And _kami_ , they were so _squishy!_

I was very tempted to ask Kei to take this little boy home if not for him already _being_ at home.

"WAH!" He squeaked, clearly not expecting it. "T-Toko! That feels weird!"

I found myself giggling. "Oh, Hayate-chan~" Without meaning to, a hum left my lips as I let go only to poke his cheeks. "You're so _cute_ , you know?"

"N-n-no, I'm not!" He protested, starting to turn pink while attempting to scramble to his feet. Then, Hayate stood up to put his hands on his hips again, doing what I'd dub the ' _Superman_ / _Wonder Woman_ ' pose, puffing his chest out. "I'm big and cool!"

"Oh, Hayate…" I sighed, shaking my head. Instead of continuing my next thought, I turned to Kei with a questioning smile. "Hey, Kei-chan, is it okay if I could hug Hayate-chan?"

The ninja blinked, somewhat caught off guard with my question before grinning. "He's all yours, Tomoko-chan. Just no tackles."

 _YAY!_ And, skirt and all, I swept up the toddler up into my arms, snuggling him.

_So cute! You deserve all the cuddles!_

"T-Toko! You're squishing me!" Hayate protested from my arms.

I just laughed and squeezed him a little more while sitting back onto the ground, resting my nose in his fluffy brown hair.

This is what we needed to work towards protecting.

Because the innocence wouldn't last forever.

* * *

Judai found himself smiling while looking in his daughter's direction. "Kids," he mused, swirling his cup of tea absently. "They can be so lively, huh?"

At his left side, Gekkō Miyako lightly traces the rim of her own cup, inclining her head in the same direction with a soft smile. "They are, Judai. We may as well treasure them for what they bring to the household."

"Yeah…" The retired nin murmured, soft smile continuing to tug on his lips. "I'm guessing you're happy with them, Miyako?"

Without even thinking on it, the former Ghoul of Three Wolves nodded, love filling her heart almost instantly at the sight of her children. Kei-chan, laughing cheerfully for the first time in a while while observing at her brother's antics. Hayate-chan, protesting at the tight hug he was in. And Tomoko-chan, that strange civilian girl, hugging her youngest child without a care in the world, giggling happily. "I am. I wouldn't be…" She paused, the memories of her old family rushing through her before shaking her head. It wouldn't be proper to reminisce in the presence of old friends.

Suzume and the others were long gone now. Miyako took a breath. "I wouldn't be who I am today without them."

Thankfully, Judai seemed to recognize that she didn't want to explain, nodding before glancing at the cup of tea in his hand. "Thanks for having us over, Miyako," he stated quietly. "It's good to see you and Wataru again."

"Of course," she answered, grateful for the change in topic. "Wataru was nearly bouncing off the walls at the idea of you coming over. He missed you, Judai."

Judai blinked before grinning sheepishly and scratching his cheek. "…Well, I'll be around more often so that doesn't happen as much," he concluded, averting his eyes. "I'm sorry for taking so long."

Miyako shook her head, resting a hand over his for a moment. "Don't be. What's happened is in the past. Wataru and I," she paused, turning her head in the direction of her husband. Gekkō Wataru, her loving spouse, was apparently soliciting with Hoshino Hikari, talking her ear off on _something._ Thankfully, the civilian didn't seem to mind, if her steady hands holding a teapot said anything on the matter. That was a good sign. Miyako turned back to her old friend with a small smile. "We're just happy to have you back, Judai."

"…Thanks," He replied gently, smile more genuine on his face. "For everything, Miyako."

She simply nodded while taking her hand away.

Then, Hikari came over with the pot of tea, Wataru trailing behind her. "I hope I'm not intruding," the civilian woman began, a light embarrassed pink on her face. "But the tea is ready."

Miyako looked at her. "Traditionally brewed green tea, correct?"

Hikari seemed to turn more sheepish as she offered the pot in Miyako's direction. Wordlessly, Miyako pushed her cup so that it was in serving distance. "Yeah…I'm still practicing, so I'm not sure if it's to your liking…" Hikari went on to gently pour warm green liquid into the cup, and judging by the faint aroma, there was one check in the 'good tea' list.

"Hikari, don't worry about it!" Judai sounded more cheerful now as he pushed his own cup in his wife's direction, grinning. "I'm sure you did fine!"

"…Oh, Judai," Hikari simply sighed before going on to pour her husband a cup and sitting herself down in a chair. "Do you want any, Wataru-san?"

Wataru, having taken the immediate right seat next to Miyako, just shook his head with a grin. "Nah, I'm good!"

Miyako poked his waist. Immediately, Wataru deflated, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

_If I'm going through this, then you need to as well._

"…On second thought, a small cup would be alright," he said sheepishly, raising a hand to the back of his head.

Miyako beamed at him. On the other hand, Hikari blinked before turning sheepish herself, hurriedly putting the teapot down. "I'll go get a cup for you then!" She then scurried off to find another cup in the kitchen.

Why the civilian was so embarrassed, Miyako wasn't sure.

Then, she drank the tea.

_Ack._

Right on her left, she could hear Judai trying to hold back a gagging noise.

Miyako could tell that Hikari had at least _tried,_ but she had a long way to go in terms of practice.

With practiced calm, the retired kunoichi set down her cup just as Hikari had come back with one for Wataru. Thankfully, she hadn't started pouring more 'tea' yet.

But the civilian seemed to notice Miyako's straight face and sighed. "…Let me guess, it wasn't that good?"

"To be blunt, Hikari-san?" Miyako held back the urge to sigh. "I'm sorry, but this is nothing more than hot leaf juice."

The civilian hung her head. "Oh dear…"

"Er, Miyako-chan?" Wataru interrupted, raising a finger in the air. "When it boils down to it, isn't that what all tea is?"

Miyako just glanced at him. Wataru deflated before taking his cup and sipping.

The former Ghoul of Three Wolves wondered now if he realized that his cup was empty.

Nonetheless, Miyako pushed her cup away to look up at the depressed civilian with a stern eye. "Hikari-san, if you plan to practice more, may I take up the role of teaching you? There is more to tea than just setting a tea bag."

Strangely, the civilian perked up to look at her with wide, excited blue eyes. "A-Are you alright with that, Miyako-san?"

She nodded.

A wide smile broke Hikari's face almost immediately. "Then yes! By all means!"

Judai and Wataru both shared a glance behind her before shaking their heads in varying degrees of amusement and exasperation.

Let the lessons begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Not much to say here except a warning of The PLOT~ coming soon. I'm not sure when, but probably around Chapters 6-7 will be when Kakashi, Obito and Rin come around.
> 
> All the songs mentioned in this chapter are actual piano songs that can be found on YouTube. I do encourage you all to look them up!
> 
> And the hot leaf juice thing? I'll have to thank a certain Fire Nation Uncle for giving me inspiration. :)
> 
> Until then, this is Writer-and-Artist27, signing out to focus on schoolwork!
> 
> Appreciate you all very much!


	6. What to Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> The theme is once again from HollowRiku, being his cover of Scherzo Di Notte from Kingdom Hearts. Unlike other covers, this one is actually a mix of the original Scherzo Di Notte and the Hollow Bastion themes, and with the recent revelations going on, I thought this would fit.
> 
> On the other hand, Tomoko does play Kyle Landry's Kingdom Hearts Medley for Piano Solo in the chapter. Please go check that out too!
> 
> Well, anyways.
> 
> Sit back and please enjoy!

_Chapter 6: What to Do_

It was with the turn of winter that canon started to take a step forward.

More specifically, it was around the last few days of November that I met Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi.

It all started with a D-Rank mission, really.

…Oh? You're wondering where Kei is in all this?

Well, she couldn't visit me every day. She had a life outside our friendship after all. Last I checked, she had started an internship with a local medic ninja, volunteering at the Konoha hospital in a way not so different from the volunteer positions Vy worked on back in those days.

Not to mention, her being home-schooled by Miyako-bachan and Wataru-san meant learning as much as she could about kenjutsu.

Protecting someone like Gekkō Hayate would be no easy feat, after all.

But nonetheless, getting back to the D-Rank mission.

It really could've been solved in a few hours if Papa or Wataru-san were available.

There were only two problems.

One. Wataru-san had apparently taken a mission out on the border posts for the next few days, so he was not an option.

Two. Papa got a fever. A freakin' _fever._

All because of piping problems.

You heard me right. _Piping problems._

I'm not even sure what exactly happened. The day before, it was just a normal work day at Nagareboshi Cafe, you know? I was at the piano, in the middle of a song for the cafe, when it happened.

A crash, a yelp sounding like, " _AH!_ " and then an explosion.

Not a big, _big_ kind of explosion. It was more similar to a muffled BOOM in the back, with some steam rising from the kitchen doors a few seconds later.

I ended up hitting the wrong note mid-song, _then_ I had to apologize to the customers sitting around the stage, and _then_ I could run into the back to see what had happened. Thankfully, Mama was right behind me, so I wasn't alone in heading into the danger zone.

Once I threw the kitchen doors open, the first thing that greeted us was smoke.

"What—" Mama coughed, swinging a hand in front of her face. "What happened back here?"

Then, the shouting. Even with all the smoke, I could clearly make out Papa's voice, and took the first few words as my sign to flee even before Mama put her hand on my shoulder to steer me out.

" _You ass_! Do you _know_ how much you destroyed there?! That was more than _**ten thousand ryo**_! More than _ten thousand ryo_! Do you hear me—"

You guys are free to call me a coward here. But if you heard your previously happy-go-lucky Papa start going _ballistic_ , then you have no room to talk.

I just _don't_ like loud voices, okay? Especially angry ones.

Coming from my family too? That's another check in the ' _Get Out of There and Pretend Nothing Ever Happened_ ' List.

Buuut I couldn't _pretend_ nothing ever happened because as soon as I got out of THAT warzone, the entire cafe was staring at me in the nonverbal way of saying 'What happened?'

What resulted was my trying to explain the event in the most calm and patient way as possible WHILE getting back to the piano WHILE Papa was still yelling his head off at the poor culprit.

It went something like this:

* * *

"Er, I'm sorry about that, everyone! It seems something blew up back there, so Mama and Papa are going to fix that now!"

"Is everything okay, Tomoko-chan?"

"I-I'm sure it's fine! It's Mama and Papa, so—"

" _YOU'RE FIRED!"_

"..."

"..."

"…I'll get back to the piano, how about that?"

"That would be appreciated."

* * *

Once closing time came around, Mama was the one to shut the doors while gently escorting me back into the house. I wasn't surprised that she didn't mention anything that _did not happen earlier_ until we were having dinner.

Papa's absence at the table said more than enough.

Mama sighed over her rice. "I guess I'll have to finalize that D-rank mission then."

 _Oh dear._ "Mama?" I asked.

She gave me a small smile while putting her chopsticks down. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

I gulped, but still looked up at her to continue. "What happened exactly? And why is Papa not with us?"

"Oh…" she visibly drooped, smiling sadly while reaching over to touch my head. "Well, Tomoko-chan, your Papa is currently in bed right now. Seems like this afternoon's action ended up getting him sick. See…" she trailed off, lightly brushing her hand through my hair in thought. "A new worker ended up doing something that managed to break all of the kitchen piping, and the water spray directly hit him. After that large…yelling fest, your father took it all upon himself to try repairing the damage, only to fall with a fever by closing time."

 _Oh no._ "W-Will he be okay, Mama?" I asked, finding it difficult to hold back the urge to just _run_ over to Papa's side.

In response, Mama smiled at me again, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "He'll be fine, Tomoko-chan. It's just a fever, so it should subside within a day or so of rest."

 _Whew._ I found my heart becoming a bit lighter as a breath left me. "…But Mama, what are we going to do about the kitchen? Shouldn't Wataru-san be available?"

At my question, Mama's smile dropped while shaking her head. "Unfortunately, I heard from Miyako-san that he's currently out on a mission near the borders. So he's not an option, Tomoko-chan. Either it's up to us or we hire some ninja." She sighed somberly, her hand having gone over to squeeze my own. "And I know with the massive amount of damage in there, I can't do it alone, and you're too young. The hired help won't really work either."

"I see…" I squeezed her hand back. "But it's going to be okay, right Mama?"

She smiled again, although tentatively. "Of course it is, Tomoko-chan. I already put in the request for 20,000 ryo, so someone should pick it up. We'll see who it'll be tomorrow."

Honestly, the sooner they fixed the kitchen to bring the cafe back into business, the better.

* * *

When the dawn of the new day came by, I was quickly regretting my previous thought.

If you've read this far, then you know why.

I was in the middle of wiping down the piano of any dust when I heard the voice.

"Hikari-san? Hikari-san, we're here for your D-Rank mission?"

Even without Vy's memories, the spiky blonde hair was a deadringer. I looked up, and the first thing that struck me was the bright blue orbs.

Namikaze Minato did share that same aspect with Naruto after all. And even as a Jounin, wearing simple blues and the common green flak jacket, there was no mistaking it.

The future Fourth Hokage had just stepped into Nagareboshi Cafe.

_Oh no._

And at his heels, I could see silver spikes poking behind him.

_**Oh no.** _

Hatake Kakashi was trailing _right_ behind Minato. I couldn't help myself. I found myself freezing up until they both were walking up to me.

I was _so screwed._

Kakashi stepped out of the Jounin's shadow while looking me over. Then, even through his mask, I could see his frown. "Are you the client? You're a bit short for it."

 _Ack!_ I tried to hold back my horror to instead smile, even if it was probably coming off as somewhat forced. "I'm the client's _daughter,_ shinobi-san, so I'm sorry if I don't look the part."

_I drink my milk! So I'll grow tall one day! Screw you!_

There was _no_ way I wasn't salty about the 'short' comment. No way.

"Kakashi," Minato started, hand landing on the silver-nin's head. Then, those same blue eyes turned on me with an apologetic gaze. "I'm sorry about that, um…"

Oh. "Hoshino Tomoko, shinobi-san, I'm Hoshino Tomoko." I bowed my head while feeling the smile on my face turn more genuine. "The client of your mission is actually my mom." Then, to avoid the pointed stare Kakashi was sending me, I turned my head towards the back and took a breath. "MAMA! THE NINJA ARE HERE!"

Right behind me, I could feel the two ninja jump somewhat as an equally loud reply came my way. "JUST A MINUTE, TOMOKO-CHAN!"

The sound of rushing sandals greeted my ears, and then from the back doors leading to the kitchen, Mama came out. As usual, she was wearing her blue, bubble-patterned work kimono and red-orange obi, so she made quite the spectacle when jogging towards us. Nonetheless, it only took a few seconds before she got there, smiling. "I'm sorry for the wait, shinobi-san," Mama bowed in their direction. "I'm Hoshino Hikari, the client of your mission. I see you've already met my daughter." She glanced at me, and I bowed again in turn.

"It was no problem at all, Hoshino-san," Minato nodded his head, smiling too. "I'm Namikaze Minato, Jounin. And with me is my student, a Chunin." And then he had to nudge the silver-head behind him. "Kakashi,"

The future Copy Nin let out an audible mumble of protest.

Minato was frowning now. "Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed, and then stepped out of the Jounin's shadow again to speak. "Hatake Kakashi. Pleasure to meet you."

Well, that was better than what he said the first time. He was already shaping up to be a lovable asshole.

Just like someone else I once knew…

Mama just continued to smile while using her hand to motion towards the back door. "Anyways, with introductions out of the way, I'll show you to your job, alright?" Her other hand went to my shoulder to lightly push me. "C'mon, Tomoko-chan."

Her soft touch thankfully helped get the last bits of irritation out of my system as I looked up at her and nodded. "Okay, Mama."

And then we all were walking. I hadn't exactly planned on going along with her, but since Mama was pushing me anyways, I just went with it. It was better than going in alone with two ninja that were intertwined with canon FAR too much for my liking.

It would've been a nice moment that I would've liked to indulge in the silence a bit longer.

Only Mama opened the kitchen doors.

And my jaw properly hit the ground.

"…What happened here?" Minato gaped behind me.

"The hell?" Kakashi said flatly.

Even if it had been only a day, it felt like we all had walked into a domestic _battlefield._

Water was spurting almost everywhere, soaking our shoes and the floor with an inch-tall layer of it. Adding in the broken pipe fragments dotting the water now leaking out into the main cafe area, the few pipes still intact from the ground sticking up with broken openings, _and_ the cloud of steam, it was just a _nightmare_.

I couldn't blame Papa for getting sick now. Because this was looking like something out of a cleaning _apocalypse._ That's how bad it was.

Before thinking on it, I turned back to the dumbfounded ninja and bowed my head. "…I'm sorry about this, Minato-san, Kakashi-san." I was already dreading asking them for help if it was _this_ horrendous.

I could already imagine the heaps of cleaning cloths that would be piling Nagareboshi's trash cans and laundry bins.

"…It's fine, er, Tomoko-chan?" A hand landed on my head, and I looked up to see Minato's confused face. "Is it okay if I can call you that?"

In my surprise, I nodded. His hand was big, but it was _soft._ "Then, Minato-san?"

The Jounin grinned and nodded back.

I looked at Kakashi. He spared me a glance before sighing. "…Kakashi is fine." A pause followed. Then, he looked at me in the eye, despite being hesitant. "Tomoko."

 _Level Up! You have finally leveled up to something other than "short"!_ My subconscious screeched.

I ignored it in favor of turning to Mama. She smiled back before looking at the two ninja. "I'll get the cleaning supplies."

Minato-san finally let go of my head to send her a grateful grin back. "Can I see where you keep your plumbing supplies too, Hoshino-san?"

She nodded.

In the meantime, the Jounin looked back at Kakashi, who had opted to stand in the doorway in comparison to our positions in the center of the mess. "Kakashi, go and help Tomoko-chan, ok?"

 _Oh dear._ I tried not to hang my head and instead fiddled with the hem of my sleeves as he stood to attention, clear discomfort in his figure. "Alright sensei." Kakashi then turned to look at me. Thankfully, I wasn't freezing up, but his stare was starting to hurt. "Let's go then."

"Alright…" I sighed before walking over to him, ignoring the water pooling in my flats.

_How did I get here again?_

* * *

The cleaning process took about _5-6 hours._

I'm not joking. _Five to six hours._ That's how much time it took to mop away all the flooding water and piping fragments, replace each pipe, put in new tiling, and make the kitchen at least _resemble_ what it used to be by the time we were done.

Even with two skilled ninjas at our sides, Mama and I were somewhat puffing after it was over. The afternoon sun helped, but not as much as we would've liked.

Minato-san and Kakashi? They looked like they got out of the wrong end of the shower, if their wet uniforms had anything to say about it.

Then again, they did take it upon themselves to stop the water flow…

Anyways.

Mama was handing out towels to everyone when the idea hit me.

"Hey!" I found myself jumping up from my chair with an extended hand. "Minato-san, Kakashi!"

"W-What is it, Tomoko-chan?" Minato-san sounded perplexed, having just taken his towel from Mama, who was blinking at me.

"How do you guys feel about some music?" A large smile was on my face as the song choices rolled through my head. "It's been a long day, so something at the piano should work!"

"…Tomoko-chan," Mama started, having just let go of a towel to tilt her head. "I'm not sure if that's really a good idea…"

"Can you really do that, being the shortie you are?" Kakashi interrupted dryly, having just stopped wiping at his neck with the towel.

… _He didn't just go there, did he?_

"…I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," I muttered back, walking over to the piano and stretching my arms. "Right now, we all need to relax." I grinned at them while sitting myself down on the familiar piano bench. Mama, Minato-san, and Kakashi were all giving me various looks of surprise, but I couldn't help it. It was my turn to do something. "So, why not do my specialty?"

And before anyone could get any protest in, I pushed the piano cover back and started pressing keys.

What better way to relax than with a medley?

And hey. I started with _Kingdom Hearts_ for Kei. Why not go back to it again?

Thank you, Kyle Landry.

It was only 16 minutes, but it was still enough to get the tension out of my shoulders and for the atmosphere to lighten up.

Starting with the Gummi Ship theme was a good idea after all!

When I opened my eyes to turn towards them, the last thing I was expecting were faces of shock.

Specifically, the only one not surprised out of the trio was Mama, instead staring at me with what I knew was love in her eyes.

On the other hand, Minato-san and Kakashi seemed to be looking at me like I was an _idol_ —that is, if the spark of awe in their eyes was anything to go by _._ And since they were _ninja of canon fame,_ it really didn't make me feel that great.

_Ohmigod, whyaretheystaring, whyaretheystaring, **why** are they staring?!_

"Er…what is it?" I said dully, fingers stiff on the piano keys.

Minato-san was the first one to snap out of his daze, shaking his head before walking over to me with a warmer, curious smile. "Tomoko-chan, that was _amazing._ Did you come up with that yourself?"

In my shock, I nodded. The Jounin seemed to smile even brighter, finally close enough to kneel to my height at the piano bench. "Where did you learn to play like that, Tomoko-chan? I've never heard such a song like that before."

_Crap. What am I supposed to say?_

The heat was flooding my face as I tried to find words. "Um…" My voice started getting a bit higher in pitch. "I-I, uh, kinda…um…taught myself?"

_I can't just say that I was reincarnated!_

But Minato-san didn't seem to want to leave my side, actually tilting his head at me in awe. "Really, Tomoko-chan? All by yourself?"

"…How did you learn that all by yourself?"

_WAH!_

I nearly jumped at the sound of Kakashi's voice, and found myself looking past Minato-san's blonde spikes to see the Chunin give me a questioning stare. "That song doesn't look like something easily self-taught. So how?"

_Oh no._

Minato-san (thankfully) turned away from me to give his student a smile. "Kakashi, there's different ways of learning in this world. Sometimes, you don't need a teacher. Just like there's ninja geniuses, there can also be civilian prodigies too."

I tried not to gape. _Minato-san, you're just making it worse! And…_

_I'm not a prodigy._

_This song isn't even fully mine. It's just a memory…but…_

I knew I couldn't voice it. They probably wouldn't understand yet.

Instead, Kakashi seemed taken aback before crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head away from us. Was he…pouting? I wasn't sure.

Instead, Minato-san turned back to me again with a warm smile. "Tomoko-chan, are we free to come back again? I think my girlfriend would like to meet you one day."

"…It'd be fine with me, Minato-sensei," Kakashi mumbled quietly in the back of the room.

 _Oh dear._ I tried not to grimace and instead glanced at Mama. She nodded once, soft smile on her face as her blue eyes sparkled. Seeing the gesture helped calm my heart a bit, but it was still running like it was on a marathon.

I looked back at the Jounin with a small smile. "O-Of course you're welcome to come back. Mama and I are always here."

_That is, as long as canon doesn't kill me first._

Minato-san smiled again, brighter than before, and by then, I already knew.

_I'm doomed._

* * *

A day after the whole D-rank mission, Kei came by Nagareboshi again.

And honestly? I was so panicky to where I _wanted_ to see her again.

Even with Papa fully recovered, the kitchen repaired, and the ninja gone on some other mission, I couldn't deny that the event happened.

I had met goddamn _Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi._

The. Yellow. Flash. And. The. Future. Copy. Ninja.

Holy. _Shit_.

That was probably why when she walked in, it was so uneventful and _normal_ to where I was shocked at hearing her voice again.

It was tired, somewhat gravely, but it still screamed _Kei._

" _Tomoko? I'm here!_ "

Relief hit me so hard to where the weight on my chest came off in mere _seconds_ and I felt like I was flying.

"Kei?" Even with that feeling, I could barely find the energy in me to run, only turning my head to see that messy black head of hair pop up in the cafe entrance. She was waving a hand at me, grinning that same lopsided smile, and my heart was just screaming at me to run over and hug her as tightly as I could.

"Hey!" The future ninja yelled happily.

But we were in Nagareboshi, near the end of a rush hour. And with the previous day's revelations still hanging on me, I found myself only able to wave a tired hand back from my standing position in the middle of the building. "Kei~! Hey~!"

Even with my smile back, Kei didn't miss a single detail. Immediately, her grin dropped for a worried expression as she quickly walked over to me, inclining her head. "Tomoko? Are you okay?"

"…" I could only shake my head.

Even if I could smile enough about it, that didn't mean my heart _agreed_ with it.

Kei sighed, grabbing my hand. "…Want to go talk about it?"

I gulped before looking up at her. "…Please?"

She grinned at me again, squeezing my hand reassuringly. Even with the familiar eye-bags hinting at the usual exhaustion, her black eyes sparked with more life than what I was giving off. "Of course we can."

"Ok…" And before I could even ask for my break, Kei was already going above and beyond, waving Papa over to do so for me.

Here we go again.

* * *

Once Gekkō Keisuke found herself settled in Tomoko's room again, she could only wait as the civilian properly woke up.

From an angle, it would've looked like Tomoko was close to spacing out or even nodding off if not for her fidgeting hands.

A pause followed.

Kei waited patiently.

Then, Tomoko lifted her head to look at her with worried, tired blue eyes. "…Kei?"

The ninja blinked, smiling softly. "Yeah?"

The civilian frowned, eyebrows furrowed in a sad expression. "I think I'm doomed."

… _What the hell?_

Kei held back her tongue to say something else, in the meantime reaching over to hold the civilian's hand. "Why do you say that?"

Tomoko hung her head again, not meeting her eyes for a moment as her fingers wiggled before grasping Kei's hand. Another moment of quiet passed. Then, the civilian looked up at her with hesitant eyes. "I met Kakashi and Minato-san yesterday."

_Fuck._

Kei immediately got up from her sitting position to walk over to her friend's side, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders. "What happened, Tomoko?"

Apparently, the civilian wasn't expecting the gesture, actually tensing in the ninja's hold before looking up at Kei with wide eyes. "Uh…just a D-rank mission," Tomoko started, fiddling with her thumbs while looking down at the table, finding it more interesting. "But…the fact that Kakashi liked my piano says more than enough. Minato-san even…mentioned bringing Kushina to the cafe one day and…" she trailed off.

Kei couldn't blame her for doing so. The implications were there, and they weren't pretty. "…And?" she prompted gently.

Tomoko visibly gulped. "I-It's just…I think I'm getting involved in the Plot without meaning to, Kei, and that _terrifies me._ "

_**Double fuck.** _

Kei sat down as best as she could, pulling the civilian close while sighing. "…That's something we never really thought about before, is it? That you might get involved?"

Tomoko nodded, leaning against the ninja with a tired sigh. "Yeah…"

Kei put a hand on her chin, closing her eyes in thought for a moment. Then, she glanced down at the civilian with a small, meaningful smile. "Tomoko, I'm here to help if you need it. You're my friend, too."

The civilian froze. Then, she smiled, albeit a tiny one, when meeting the ninja's eyes. The blue orbs seemed to get some life back while doing so. "…Thank you, Kei," Tomoko said softly. "I guess the whole thing that I'm worried about is just _how_ things will change, you know?"

"Don't we all worry about that," Kei muttered dryly, resting her chin on Tomoko's head. "But keep going."

"Mm," The civilian hummed, having taken the time to stop fiddling with her hands and instead grasp Kei's again. "It's just…meeting Kakashi means I'll be seeing Sakumo-san around too. The White Fang. And I couldn't help but remember how he passed, and I can't just…" Tomoko gulped again, clear concern showing in her figure. "I can't just _let_ him die after knowing how much it affected Kakashi and Team Minato, Kei." The civilian fumbled with the ninja's fingers for a moment. "I just…I don't know what to do."

Kei wasn't sure herself, either. The White Fang's death was something that was already pre-established by the time of Kakashi Gaiden, so trying to _stop_ it? That was already a tall order beside everything else on the to-do list. Not to mention the very low amount of screen-time the White Fang received as is. How could they stop it when all the girls knew were the very _bare_ details?

"…I'm not sure what we can do from this angle, Tomoko." She admitted slowly. "Maybe…Maybe we could try to get him some more friends? Like, your dad is friendly and technically runs this place, so we could sort of…like, play friend-matchmaking? Is that even a thing?" Kei shrugged helplessly, ideas on the down-low for once.

Tomoko blinked. "…I thought matchmaking was of the couple-sort…or something."

Kei pinched the bridge of her nose. "You get the idea, Tomoko."

"…Yeah."

The ninja sighed again. "…Neither of us have any pull except being, well, us. And knowing what might happen."

"That's what bothers me, Kei," Tomoko finished quietly, leaning against the ninja again. "That Sakumo-san's mission is still going to happen no matter what we do. And…" she paused, clearly fidgeting from the idea of her next words.

"And what?" Kei said.

"… _Ugh…_ " The civilian put her face in her hands, muffling her tired groan. "Do I have to say it?"

"You started it, Tomoko-chan, so you should finish it," Kei answered dryly.

"Ehhhhh?" The civilian sighed again before putting her hands down her lap. "…Okay…"

Kei held back the urge to snicker.

Then, another moment of silence. Tomoko took a breath. "Thing is, Kei, your dad is working out there in the war, too, right? I don't want to do something that results in hurting him. If we could save everybody, then that would be nice…" she then hung her head, frowning.

Kei looked down at her hands contemplatively. It was true that the Gekkōs relied on Wataru as a form of income, but if he _died_? The ninja wasn't sure how things would go. She wasn't even sure HOW she could take to seeing someone die. "I…I don't know. But…But if we know something bad might happen, and we might be able to stop it, I'm not sure I could forgive myself if I didn't at least try _something_. Even if Dad told Sakumo-san to be more careful, or if maybe Mom tried training with him...?"

Tomoko took a shaky breath. "Or I could try asking Papa to try inviting him over sometimes..." She gulped again, rubbing her hands on her arms. "It's just… _ugh_ , this feels really scary sometimes. Knowing that something is going to happen. But…Kei, you're always going to be here, right?"

Without thinking, the ninja nodded. "That's the plan. I'm not leaving if I have a choice in it."

Tomoko froze again. And then she started to shake.

Kei blinked, looking down at the civilian. "…Tomoko?"

" _Uu_ …" The pianist then turned around to wrap her arms around the ninja's neck, burying her face into Kei's shoulder. "Thank you, Kei. Just…thank you." Tomoko choked out. "This is just…this is just really _terrifying._ Like…" the girl shivered. "I-I'm sorry for getting all emotional on you, Kei, it's just…it just seems like such a huge thing to deal with, you know? I'm just…" A sniffle sounded. "I'm just _scared._ "

"…If we weren't scared, I think the universe would think we weren't taking it seriously enough. We're facing some pretty long odds," Kei said quietly, hugging back almost immediately. "But we'll do this together. Don't worry."

Tomoko's shoulders shook again. " _Uu_ …thank you, Kei. Thank you…"

And then the ninja could feel her shoulder start to get wet. Kei just smiled, rubbing the girl's back with a hand sympathetically. "No problem, Tomoko."

Everyone needed the chance to vent with tears.

* * *

The next day, my first customer was a familiar silver-haired Chunin.

Hatake Kakashi walked in looking like he couldn't care less about anything, but judging by his tense shoulders, he was cross about _something._

I just smiled. "Welcome back to Nagareboshi Cafe, Kakashi-kun. What can I do for you?"

He gave me a glance, then pulled a chair over to sit next to me, crossing his arms against his chest. "...Could you play the song from the day before? It'd be…" He frowned, pointedly averting his eyes. "It'd be nice to hear."

Without meaning to, a soft giggle left my lips. "Of course I can."

Canon had already taken its first steps.

So that meant Kei and I needed to be ready to meet it every step of the way.

* * *

"…Kei-kun, _quit bullshitting the fish test._ "

"Yes, sensei."

Another water bubble burst and another green glow.

Another step towards an uncertain future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Not much to say except it's almost time for the Academy Years. Then it's the first setback both girls have to deal with. I hope you all will stay with me every step of the way!
> 
> Many thanks to Lang Noi again for her amazing support!
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to brainstorm Chapter 7 and work on school!


	7. The Dreamer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> There are actually two main themes for this chapter, specifically being:
> 
> Kyle Landry's cover of For River from To The Moon, and
> 
> Resallin's piano cover of Dive into the Heart - Destati from Kingdom Hearts
> 
> If possible, please play the first theme during the more lighthearted segments and the second for the specific "Dive into Heart"/Mind/depressing sequences.
> 
> On the other hand, Tomoko does play Animenz Piano Sheets' cover of Naruto Shippuden's Blue Bird and Jess A.'s cover of All Our Days from RWBY, so please go check those out as well!
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 7: The Dreamer_

The next year seemed to pass by far too quickly for my liking. Kei continued her medical training while I continued my job as Nagareboshi's main pianist.

It was actually a Sunday afternoon when I was visiting the Gekkō home again that the announcement was said.

"The entrance ceremony will be in two days," Miyako-bachan said, as Wataru-jichan reached over to gently ruffle Kei's hair. "While there may not be much room inside the Academy, Tomoko-chan, we would all like to see your family afterward for a celebratory lunch."

If not for my hands already being occupied by a curious Hayate, I probably would've flailed. Instead, I had to settle for my heart pounding a bit harder in my chest as I looked up from the little boy. "…Entrance ceremony? Celebratory lunch?" was what escaped me dully.

"Ceremy—Ceremony?" Hayate waited for just long enough to get an approving nod from his parents and sister, then nodded more firmly to himself. "Tomoko-neechan, you should be there!"

_Oh my. When did he start calling me 'neechan'?_

Kei raised an eyebrow at me while reaching over to close my gaping mouth. "Tomoko-chan, if you keep doing that, a fly is going to go in there." Nonetheless, she was grinning that same lopsided smile. "But yeah! I'll be heading into the Academy starting Tuesday!"

"…Oh…I…see…" I said, still dumbfounded.

Wataru-jichan gave me a confused glance. "You don't sound that happy, Tomoko-chan. Are you not okay with it?"

_Shoot._ Immediately, I shook my head, waving my hands in front of my face in the hopes that the red wasn't showing that much. "N-No, no, no, Wataru-jichan, it's not that at all! I'm just surprised…" In my embarrassment, I scratched my cheek. "I-I guess time flew by so much to where I wasn't sure how to react…"

_Especially since the Academy is the start of all things Plot-related..._

Miyako-bachan blinked at me before smiling serenely. "There's nothing wrong with that, Tomoko-chan. But will we be able to see you Tuesday?"

I nodded without question, smiling. "Of course! I wouldn't want to miss Kei's ceremony for the world!"

From the side of my eye, was Kei…blushing? I wasn't sure. But I knew that my reply was honest.

This was a huge moment, Plot-related or not. Even if I was being homeschooled, it didn't matter. Kei's life as a ninja was going to start this Tuesday. And I knew that I wanted to see her every step of the way. Even if it meant being a bit on the rowdy side.

"Hooray! Tomoko-neechan's coming too!" Hayate cheered, waving his small arms in the air.

_Awww~!_

I ended up grabbing the boy and snuggling him for the millionth time that day.

He deserved that much.

…And he was snuggly. I freely admit this. So what's wrong with liking hugs?

My reputation as 'collateral hugger' was finally going to become a thing!

" _Nooooooo_ , Tomoko-neechan, your hair tickles!"

Kei just laughed.

* * *

The next morning brought along an interesting package. I was just sweeping up the front of the cafe as usual, and last I checked, Kei was out interning at Konoha's hospital today, so all I was expecting was a normal work day.

Not the calm before the storm.

More specifically, an _Uchiha_ storm.

You would think that with bright orange goggles such as his, I would've noticed him coming a mile away.

But nope. I had to choose the RWBY kimono dress for the winter season, donning the large hoodie for the sake of keeping warm. Since it covered about the top half of my eyes along with my forehead and ears, it was hard to really notice anything out of the ordinary. Adding in my position of looking down at the ground to focus on _what_ dust I was sweeping into the dustpan, that basically set me up for the worst anime cliche ever.

_Crash Into Hello_ , was what TV Tropes used to call it.

My ears could pick up the sound of rushing sandals, and I then looked up only to get a flash of black hair.

There wasn't even enough time to _process_ what was going on.

"LOOK OUT!"

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"AAAAH!"

And then the crash.

It wasn't even a light crash. Whoever it was, they had collided with me so hard to where I found myself letting go of the broom, landing on my butt on the pavement and the same weight sprawled across my lap. My chest _hurt_ , and I was sure something was torn.

And…was my knee as cold as it was before? I wasn't sure.

If not for the warning beforehand, I was sure my head would've been swirling a _whole_ lot more than what it was doing right now. At least I could only see stars in the sides of my vision, not really cloaking my entire field of view.

The first thing that left me was a proper, "O-Ow…"

"I-I'm sorry about that!" As soon as I could register the voice, it sounded farther away compared to the first few seconds as the weight came off of me. "Are you okay?"

Once my vision cleared, the first thing I noticed was the navy blue sleeve covering the hand being offered to me. I looked up, and my heart could've turned to stone.

_Uchiha Obito,_ possible-future-Uchiha-Madara-successor and main source for all the tragedy in Team Minato, was staring at me with worried black eyes hidden behind bright orange goggles, offering his hand to me.

_Oh no._

I was _more than_ just screwed now _._

_I was fucked._

"H-Hey! Are you really okay?" His loud voice snapped me out of whatever thought I had, and I took his hand to pull myself up. Immediately, pain seared through my knee, and I tried not to wince as I looked down.

What greeted me was a clear, albeit light, gash in my right stocking, already starting to spill a bit of blood. "Oh dear…" was all I could say.

Maybe-Obito looked down in the same direction and properly _freaked._ "Oh man, I-I'm sorry!" He never seemed to let go of my hand, in fact shaking it as he rubbed the back of his spiky black hair with his other. "I-I didn't mean to crash into you like that!"

I looked up, and found my heart softening.

Even if I could be angry, it didn't seem right.

This person didn't mean to do anything wrong.

"I-It's okay, don't worry about it. It's just a scratch," I tried to soothe, smiling.

"But still…" He trailed off, pouting.

In my haste, I found myself interrupting via squeezing his hand softly. "H-Hey, don't worry, really. Besides, are you okay?"

The boy looked back at me before grinning. "Y-Yeah, I'm completely fine! That kind of crash won't kill the future great Hokage, Uchiha Obito-sama!"

_Oh my._ I just exhaled slowly before smiling again. "That's good to hear. Anyways…" I let go of his hand to grab the fallen broom before facing him. "I'm Hoshino Tomoko. It's nice to meet you, Obito-san."

"Nice to meet you too," he grinned before turning on that worried expression again, staring down at my leg. "But, uh…are you sure you're okay?"

I shrugged. "It's just a scratch, Obito-san, so I'm sure I'll be okay."

And then the blood _had_ to start trickling down my knee and past the gash in my stocking, soaking the black fabric with a darker hue while leaving me with a wet, uncomfortable feeling on my skin.

Obito gave it a glance before shaking his head. "…Nah, I can't believe that." He grabbed my hand again.

_Huh?_ "W-Wait, Obito-san, what are you—" I couldn't even finish my sentence before he pushed the cafe doors open, pulling me inside in the process. After looking around, the Uchiha went on to grab a spare chair and sit me down in it.

It was so fast to where I couldn't even process it.

"…I can't just leave knowing that I accidentally hurt you," he said firmly, kneeling down to said knee height and reaching into his jacket pocket. "Now where did I put that…?"

I could only watch in confusion as he fumbled with whatever he had in said pocket before glee showed through his face. A moment later, he pulled out a small plastic baggy labeled ' _Med Stuff_ ' in scrawled, rushed handwriting, snapping it open to pull out what appeared to be a bottle of cleaning alcohol and a cotton ball. "Rin said to clean it up first…" Obito went on to mumble, twisting the bottle cap open and pouring some of the clear liquid onto the ball in his hand.

"…Obito-san?" I inclined my head.

He looked up at me with a sheepish grin. "Tomoko-chan, it's going to hurt a bit, okay?"

"What do you mean by that—"

And then he started swabbing at my knee.

_Aah!_ I tried to hold back my first instinct to cry out at the sudden twinge of pain, instead covering my mouth with a hand while keeping my voice down to a minimum volume of a squeal. I know being reincarnated means dealing with pain all over again, but did it have to _hurt_?

It felt like needles were poking around in there!

"…I'm sorry about this," The boy mumbled, continuing to swab at the wound with almost deliberate carefulness, glancing up at me with apologetic eyes. "This wouldn't have happened if I didn't run into you."

I took in a shaky breath to instead try to smile at him. "O-Obito-san, it's not entirely your fault…I-I should've seen you coming and tried to move out of the way."

Even with my words, he shook his head furiously, discarding the now bloody cotton ball to the side to reach into the plastic bag again for a clean one, wiping at the residue. "Still, I should've done something. This isn't a good sign if I ever want to be Hokage."

_Oh yeah…Obito wanted to be Hokage back then too, didn't he?_

Before I could stop myself, I was already speaking up. "O-Obito-san?"

The Uchiha looked up at me, having been in the middle of tearing off the paper packaging of a small roll of bandages. Even with the corner of said packaging sandwiched in-between his teeth, he could still pull off an indignant face. "T-Tomoko-chan, you don't have to refer to me with _-san_! It sounds weird!"

"Um…" I stumbled, finding heat flood my face again. "Then, Obito-kun?"

He nodded, a happier look on his face as he finally got the bandage roll free from the paper. "I-I kinda call you with _-chan_ , so that's fair." Obito went on to tear the paper covers off the sticky ends. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

I couldn't help myself. "…Why do you want to be Hokage, Obito-kun?"

He paused, hand midway in starting to wrap the bandage on my knee, before looking up at me with wide eyes. "Why do you ask?"

I had a strange feeling he was going to wrap it around the _entirety of my knee,_ stocking and all. Mama would probably have to fix it later...

"I-I was just curious, that's all," I fumbled, gulping down the lump in my throat while my finger went on to fiddle with the hem of my hoodie. "Ever since you met me, you've been saying 'Hokage this,' 'Hokage that,' and… I'm not sure," I admitted quietly, smiling at the Uchiha sheepishly. "It…It just seems like such a big dream, you know?"

_Especially since your canon self gave it up so easily after losing Rin…_ My mind added in quietly.

"It is!" Obito grinned again, wrapping the roll around my knee fairly quickly while cutting off any cold airs touching it almost immediately. "And that's why it's a great thing to work towards!"

"…Why?" I found myself saying.

_What makes such a big dream like that so worthwhile?_

Obito tied a somewhat sloppy knot with the bandage end before patting my knee with one hand, tilting his head at it to make sure it was stuck on tight. Then, he stood back up to stretch. "Thing is, no one in my clan really sees me for…well, me, right now, Tomoko-chan." He grinned at me again, this time the gesture coming off as a bit more solemn. "If I become Hokage, then everyone will have to acknowledge the great Uchiha Obito as the great ninja he is!"

_He's just like Naruto._

Both innocent and so…raring. Inspiring.

I found myself smiling while getting to my feet as well. Even with the obvious gash left in my stocking, the bandages at least helped mitigate the cold. The wrapping was tight enough in that regard, despite the sloppy knot and its covering of my torn stocking."Alright then, I guess I can't ask for more than that." My eyes found themselves glancing towards the clock, and without meaning to, my voice took on a more teasing tone. "Then, great Hokage Uchiha Obito-sama?"

He blinked before looking at me with wide eyes, face slowly turning red. "W-What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

_Aww~!_

I held back the urge to hug him and instead pointed towards the clock with a sheepish smile. "If you were in such a rush earlier, shouldn't you be looking out for the time?"

A pause.

Obito turned his head slowly in the direction of my hand, and the seconds hand moved a centimeter.

Then, the Uchiha promptly _freaked_ for the second time that morning. "AH!"

I tried not to wince from the sudden yell as Obito went on to scramble, grabbing his small plastic baggie and the dirty cotton balls, tossing the latter into the nearby trash bin while stuffing the bag into his pocket. "S-Sorry about that, Tomoko-chan! I have to go! Any more time and then I'll be late to class!" He was already throwing the cafe doors open as I looked at his back, shrugging.

"Don't worry about it, Obito-kun," And… _Oh!_ I made sure to grab his hand before he could leave. "Wait a minute!"

The Uchiha stopped, clearly surprised at the tug on his arm, before looking back at me. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

"After you're done doing whatever you're doing today, how about you come back here in the afternoon with a friend?" I giggled, squeezing his hand for a second. "I want to do something for you in thanks for helping me with my knee."

The boy flushed a light pink from the embarrassment. "O-Okay!"

And then, I let go of his hand, only able to watch as he sped off into the distance, looking back to wave at me.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

A few hours later, around noon, Kakashi pulled a chair over to sit next to me at the piano, same deadpan expression on his face.

Judging by his eyes, it seemed to be another ' _Meh'_ day.

In fact, ever since that D-Rank mission, Kakashi seemed to like frequenting the chair next to the piano on certain days. I couldn't really predict when he was going to come by, since he was a mission-going ninja and all, but he always seemed to enjoy himself at least.

We had been together for so long to where it was easy to tell what kind of day he was going through, even without him saying much.

I guess that's where my past experiences as Vy come in handy.

"What is it, Kakashi?" I found myself asking.

He slumped in his chair, hands stuffed in his pockets while closing his eyes. "…Could I get another relaxing song?" A soft sigh left him. "It's been a long day,"

I decided not to ask.

But before I could decide on something, the sound of a chair sliding across the stage floor sounded and I found myself staring at silver hair.

I blinked. "K-Kakashi?"

The Chunin inclined his head, actually looking down at my knees and…oh.

The bandaged stocking. He must've seen it.

"What happened, Tomoko?" He sat back in his chair a bit straighter this time, frowning through his mask. "You didn't have that last week."

"O-Oh, this?" I found myself touching the wrapping absently, the image of orange goggles flowing through my head. Instead of saying the whole story, I shrugged while smiling. "I-I kinda tripped on something this morning while sweeping the front area of the cafe. It's been cleaned now, so you don't have to worry about it."

"…Huh," The Chunin settled for dryly, still giving the bandages a questioning stare. "It seems to be a bit too sloppy and childish to be Judai-san or Hikari-san's work."

I couldn't blame him for thinking so since the wrapping _was_ somewhat messy. The knot keeping it all together had to be tightened by Mama in a hurry when starting the day earlier since it _was_ going to fall off soon after Obito had left. Not to mention with their stretching past the affected area and covering the entirety of my right knee.

But before he could say anymore, I just put my hands on the keys and started playing _For River._

It felt better to explain another time.

For now, that encounter with the bright Uchiha was going to be my little secret.

* * *

True to his word, around 1-2 pm, a few hours before Kei's usual showtime (if not for her being busy today), black spiky hair popped in through the cafe doors. Alongside what appeared to be a straight head of short, brown hair.

I only had to turn my head towards the entrance from the stage, and the orange goggles were a complete giveaway.

Uchiha Obito had come back to Nagareboshi, and had brought a friend just like I told him. And judging by his confused, appalled face, he was _not_ expecting so many customers in the cafe. He glanced around before meeting my eyes, and a wide grin broke across his face.

"Tomoko-chan! Hey~" he cheered, waving a hand while running closer. I just waved back, grinning all the same while watching his friend trail behind him.

Brown hair. Purple tattoos. And a love for brown and light-pink clothes.

Yep, the girl trailing behind my Uchiha friend was Nohara Rin.

And I knew I was screwed at that point.

But I didn't care.

Right now, the two were my customers, and I had a job to do.

Obito quickly pulled two chairs over to the stage, sitting down in one while motioning to the other one for Rin. The girl quietly sat down, folding her hands in her lap, while looking at me with a tentative smile. "Hello," she said.

"Hello," I said back pleasantly. "I'm Hoshino Tomoko, your pianist for the day. You can call me 'Tomoko-chan' if you want. What can I do for you?"

"— _Gah_ , what's with _that_ response, Tomoko-chan?" Obito interrupted hotly, raising a hand in the air while inclining his head. "I came by just like you asked, and _that's_ the first thing you say?"

_Pfft._ I held back a giggle before nodding at him. "Alright, alright, Obito-kun, I get it." Then I turned to Rin. "I'm guessing this is normal."

Rin seemed to relax in response to her friend's yell, giggling herself before smiling at me. "Yes, it is. I'm Nohara Rin, and I'm guessing you've met Obito before?"

"This morning, actually," I shrugged, grinning nonetheless. "But still, what can I do for you?"

Obito groaned and smacked the back of his head against his chair. " _Tomoko-chaaaaan_ , what did I just say?"

"…I was being completely serious though, Obito-kun." I smiled again before lightly poking his head. "I never said it this morning, but I'm your pianist for the day. When I wanted you to come by, I wanted to play something for you."

He was giving me a weird look. "…Say what now?"

I just pressed the middle C key while grinning at him, the sound echoing in the cafe with quiet solemnity.

Rin took the moment to interrupt. "Um…Tomoko-chan?"

I turned to her with the same grin, finger still on the key. "Yes?"

"What songs _can_ you play?" Rin questioned, tilting her head at me. "And do we have to pay you?"

_This is getting fun_. I giggled, hiding it behind my kimono sleeve. "Anything you can think of. Just give me a phrase, and I'll improvise. And—" I wiggled a finger at her teasingly, "—Since it's your first time, it's on the house~! No payments necessary!"

"HUH?!" Obito took the time to interject, nearly getting in my personal space bubble while gaping, and I found myself lurching back a few inches just to get a proper semblance of composure. "B-But, but Tomoko-chan!"

"Hey." Without thinking, I just reached over to poke his nose, smile coming back on my face. On the other hand, Obito lurched back with a surprised face. "You helped me this morning, so it's my turn to repay the debt, okay?"

The Uchiha just flushed pink with embarrassment while Rin giggled. "…You don't have to," he mumbled, sitting back into his seat.

"But I want to," I finished. "So, what's the key phrase?"

Obito gave me a funny look, black eyes wide at being put on the spot. "Uh…please?"

"…That wasn't what I was expecting, but okay?" I turned to the piano, trying not to roll my eyes at my own foolishness. _Of course_ that would confuse them—the key phrase thing was kinda a 'spur of the moment' thing that REALLY needed its own sign for future song requests.

Anyways, it was time to get to work.

I knew the perfect song for these two.

_Blue Bird._

* * *

The next day came pretty quickly, and I found myself standing outside waiting for Kei to come out with Mama and Papa that morning.

The Academy wasn't that outlandish of a building at first glance, having the large 'Fire' kanji above its large red doors, but adding in the crowd of people clustered outside along with us, it kinda felt claustrophobic. Thankfully, I didn't have it—claustrophobia, I mean—but that didn't mean the number of eyes on us weren't uncomfortable.

I was _really_ regretting choosing the RWBY kimono dress again because of its dark colors. But seriously—the red hoodie was _warm._ Not to mention, with the cold breeze and lack of sunlight, due to the cloudy skies, any warmth was appreciated.

I just _don't_ know _why_ people were staring in our direction!

"P-Papa?" I squeaked, my hand finding its way towards the hem of his kimono shirt.

He looked down at me, a hand landing on my hooded head. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

The eyes seemed to narrow at us even more. I tried not to focus on it and instead on him. "Wh-Why is everybody staring?"

Mama giggled and touched my shoulder softly. "Well, Tomoko-chan, your Papa is a bit famous around here, so people stare because he's so awesome~!"

"…Hikari," Papa said slowly, and I looked up only to see him put a hand over his mouth, cheeks red. "That's not true…"

"I highly doubt that, dear," Mama chuckled, hand on my head to push my hoodie down past my eyes and ears. _Aah!_

"…You'll pay for that later," he mumbled, grasping my hand to remove my grip on his shirt.

"Of course~!"

… _Do they have sexual tension, or is it just me?_

Thankfully, I didn't have to think on that idea much longer because those same big Academy doors were thrown open.

Many ninja families started pouring out of the large entrance, and I tried to pull up my hoodie so that I could try looking out for the Gekkō Family. All it took was trying to spot a tall head of scruffy brown hair and/or a somewhat shorter, but more elegant head of straight black hair out of a bunch of other heads.

Needless to say, my short height didn't do any good.

"…Papa," I started.

"Yes?" he muttered above me.

"Do you see Wataru-jichan and Miyako-bachan anywhere?" I tried to get on my tiptoes, only to get blocked by more people. "It's hard to see…"

The last thing I was expecting then was for big arms to wrap around my waist and for the air to meet my feet instead of the ground.

"H-Huh?! W-Wait, what—" Before I even knew it, I had found a seat on Papa's shoulders, his hands making it so mine were resting on his hair, and a loud chuckle reverberated through his figure. "P-Papa?!" I squeaked.

"How's this, Tomoko-chan?" Papa seemed to be humming now, lightly bouncing me with a small jump. "You can see a lot better now, right?"

_Since you are 5'7"_ , _yeah, but…_ "P-Papa…" I whimpered, holding onto his hair a bit tighter. "D-Did you have to surprise me?"

Nearby, I could hear Mama giggle again. "Oh Tomoko-chan, you look so _cute_."

"Mama…" Was what left me tiredly.

Sometimes, being a kid again could be such a mixed bag.

And then, I could hear them.

"Hikari-chan? Judai? Tomoko-chan!" I looked up from Papa's two-toned brown hair, and then could easily see Wataru-jichan waving at us from the middle of the crowd, his Konoha headband shining in what little sunlight was coming down. "So glad you could make it!"

"W-Wataru-jichan?" I blinked, rubbing my eyes for a second before refocusing. Sure enough, it was Mr. Gekkō himself, grinning brightly. Right at his left, I could also see a somewhat shorter but still recognizable Miyako-baachan, holding up Hayate-kun in her arms while smiling.

So then…where was…

" _Tomoko!"_

A smile grew on my face almost instantly as I looked down past Papa's hair.

Messy black hair, bright black eyes, and the same cowlicks.

"Hi, Kei!" I waved from my perch.

Then she tilted her head at me, raising an eyebrow. "Nice dress," was all she said.

_Oh dear._ Heat was flooding my face, so I instead buried it in Papa's hair. _Of course_ the RWBY dress was a bad idea! Even Kei noticed it!

…Did she…get the reference?

"So, I guess I'm an Academy student now," Kei continued, thankfully changing the subject. But judging by the underlying tone in her voice and the direction of the sound, it looked like she wasn't going to let it go yet. "A couple of years late. Any pointers, Judai-jisan?"

"Hmmm…" Papa hummed, and he lightly bounced me again while doing so. "Don't do anything reckless, keep up with your studies, don't stand out like a sore fly, and try not to fall asleep if you don't want chalk to get thrown at you?"

"…What kind of school life did you _have_ , Judai/Judai-jisan?" Mama and Kei said in disbelieving unison. They then went on to make eye contact with each other, dumbfounded by the timing.

In the meantime, I tugged on Papa's hair to grab his attention. "D-Daddy, what did you do?"

"…That's a story for another day, hime," Papa answered, tugging at my hand again. "Anyways, don't you want down?"

_Let's see. Get down and join Kei? Or stay up here where Papa is nice and warm?_ I debated my options.

"I'll join Kei!" I said instantly, and Papa just grinned again before grabbing my waist and setting me down. Finally— _finally_ , my feet could touch the ground and Kei was giving me that same lopsided grin. "Hello, friend!" I couldn't help myself with the hug at that point. It wasn't a tackle-hug, but it was still a hug nonetheless.

The ninja didn't seem to mind, thankfully. "Hello," she chuckled, hugging me back for a moment. "So, got anything to say to nearly-ninja me aside from 'hi?'"

I pulled away to just see her grin teasingly. "Er…" I tried to think on it. "What do you want for lunch?"

"I'm thinking cafe things. You?" Kei asked, tilting her head.

"Cafe things with music?" I added, raising a finger in the air. "Can't go without it, right?"

"Indeed," To my surprise, Miyako-bachan was already looming behind Kei, resting a hand on Wataru-jichan's arm. "It's good to see you all here, so how about we head out for lunch?"

"So wait," Hayate interrupted cutely, raising a hand. After getting a nod of approval from both Miyako-bachan and Kei, he continued with a confused pout. "Does this mean we're going to eat lunch at Nagareboshi?"

"…Is there any other place you would like to go, Hayate-chan?" I asked him.

He blinked, then put a hand to his head in thought. A moment passed before he opened his eyes to look at me with confused eyes. "…Nah, not really," he stumbled.

Kei and I just looked at each other before giggling.

"Well, let's head back then, shall we?" Mama was chuckling herself as she leaned down to touch my shoulder softly. "Nagareboshi shouldn't be that crowded right now."

The peace would've continued nicely if not for a familiar shout.

" _TOMOKO-CHAN?!"_

I blinked. Then I turned to Kei. "…Kei-chan, I wasn't the only one who heard that, right?"

"Nope, Tomoko-chan, it wasn't just you." Kei proceeded to facepalm.

"…When did you start getting _fans_ , Tomoko-chan?" Wataru-jichan added teasingly, grin on his face.

I would've responded if not for my spotting bright orange goggles coming closer to us in the crowd with each passing second.

_Oh dear._

Uchiha Obito was running RIGHT over to us, waving an enthusiastic hand at me while Rin was clearly trailing behind him in a light jog. "Hey, Tomoko-chan!"

"O-Obito-kun?" I found myself saying, just as Kei turned to me with surprise.

" _Obito-kun?"_ Kei repeated, dumbfounded. Even when my immediate gaze wasn't focused on her, I knew that she was staring holes into my hooded head. "Tomoko, you don't mean…"

The Uchiha reached us in mere moments, soon resting his hands on his knees while puffing. I found myself frozen, which was somewhat of a good thing considering he was catching his breath. In the background, Rin was huffing a bit herself, although not as slumped as Obito. "…H-Hey, Tomoko-chan!" Obito raised a hand towards me in greeting, grinning happily. "I-I didn't know you were attending the Academy!"

"Uh…Obito-kun, I'm not the one attending the Academy," I started, trying not to panic and instead motion towards Kei. In the background, I _swear_ all the adults were staring at us in interest. "My friend here is."

The Uchiha blinked, having finally noticed Kei, before turning to her. "You're a friend of Tomoko-chan's too? Then hi! I'm Uchiha Obito! And—" He motioned towards the girl behind him, and Rin took a step forward.

"I'm Nohara Rin, nice to meet you," she said politely.

"Gekkō Keisuke," Kei started, her voice bewildered. I had a strange feeling she was going to get back at me for this. "You can call me Kei, if you want."

"Cool! What class are you in?" Obito started, grin becoming brighter on his face.

Kei apparently hadn't gotten out of her 'stunned' phase and was blinking. "…I think we're the same age, so yours?"

"Ehhhh?!" Obito's jaw could've dropped, and the resulting sight _really_ made me want to hightail it out of there for a second just from the volume alone. Running wasn't really an option here, though. "But I've never seen you around here before!"

"Does that mean you were homeschooled?" Rin added quietly.

"Something like that?" Kei shrugged, before pausing. She then looked around before motioning to the rest of the Gekkō Family behind her. "Anyways, these are my parents, Gekkō Wataru and Gekkō Miyako." Miyako-bachan and Wataru-jichan took that moment to wave. Then, Kei pointed at her little brother with a wide grin. "And this is my brother, Hayate."

"Hi!" Hayate piped in cheerily.

Kei then pointed at me for a second. "And you've already met Tomoko-chan—"

"Hello again?" I repeated, waving a hesitant hand.

"—And those are Tomoko-chan's parents, Hoshino Judai and Hoshino Hikari." Kei finished, pointing behind me.

"Hello kids!" Papa added happily. Mama simply nodded.

"Anyways, with intros out of the way," Kei paused again, shrugging. "How do you guys feel about joining us? We were just about to head out for lunch."

"Sure!" Obito cheered, fist pumping into the air. Rin just giggled and nodded.

A pause followed.

"…So wait, where are we eating at?" Obito added dully, rubbing the back of his head with a hand.

I held back the urge to giggle as Kei just facepalmed. "You know where, Obito-kun," I added, wiggling a finger. "You were just there yesterday~"

"Nagareboshi?" Rin finished, tilting her head at us again. "It's okay for us to come along?"

I just glanced at Kei. She gave me a lopsided grin back before shrugging. In response, I turned to the two future ninja with the largest smile I could muster. "Of course it is! Nagareboshi, here we come!"

"T-Tomoko!" Kei seemed to be even more bewildered because I decided on the spur of the moment to grab her hand and lead her out of the courtyard. "Y-You don't have to pull on me!"

I just giggled, raising my other hand energetically in the air.

Let's do this!

* * *

For some strange reason, Kei decided to stay over that night. Perhaps it was the whole _Academy-equals-becoming-ninja-and-getting-involved-in-the-Plot_ thing, or for some other reason, but nonetheless, I found myself fumbling with the pile of guest futons in my arms when heading back to my room.

It was the first time she was sleeping over, so she needed her own futon, right?

Even with the blankets and variety of pillows towering over my head and blocking my vision, once my room came into view, I could hear Kei's voice, dry and deadpan as ever. "…Do you need help with that, Tomoko?"

"…Just a minute, Kei," I responded, trying to keep my balance. The blankets slipped somewhat from their neat pile and as if on cue, a pillow dropped onto the ground.

A sigh. "Let me get that," and then I could only see Kei's hand reach for the pillow.

_Ack…need to put this down…!_

Once I reached the center of the room, walking past what I _assumed_ to be Kei's spot in the area, I promptly slammed the pile onto the ground, regardless of the muffled _FWOOMPH_ that resulted afterwards. With a determined huff, I clapped my hands of any dust for a moment before standing back up.

Kei quickly loomed behind me with a disbelieving eye. "…Do we _really_ need all that? We're just sharing a room, Tomoko."

I turned back to grin at her before kneeling back down to start spreading the sheets out, throwing the occasional pillow to the side. "It's your first time sleeping over at my house, Kei, so why not? I at least want to make sure you're comfortable."

"…Still seems like too much to me," she muttered.

I spread out a blanket with a _swish._ "Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing," Kei said immediately.

"…Really, Kei?" I asked, turning my head away from my work to look at her. She shook her head.

"Like I said, it's nothing," she insisted, raising her hands in the air. "I swear on it."

"If you're sure…" I trailed off, focusing on spreading out more of the bedding in the meantime. In the middle of my work, Kei joined in rather quietly, putting pillows in whatever corners the blankets didn't cover, and by the time we both were done, the entire floor of my room was covered in a few large blankets layered on one another. Adding in the few pillows scattered all over the place, it made for an interesting setup.

"Is this good enough?" I found myself asking.

"…A bit big, but we're good," Kei shrugged, clearly not minding the the layout before plopping herself down on a spot, grabbing a pillow midway to shove under her head. She stretched her arms and legs in a way akin to making a snow angel, at least, as much as one she could make in blankets, before smiling tiredly. "It's comfortable at least."

Considering the fact that she was wearing a simple T-shirt and what I think was yoga pants for sleepwear, I'd agree.

…Why did Mama like putting me in nightgowns again? Oh yeah, they were comfortable. And they were easy to slip off for a quick change of clothes.

Instead of thinking on the idea further, I sat down criss-cross-applesauce next to her with a small smile. "…Hey Kei?"

She blinked before turning over towards me. "Yeah?"

I tried not to sound nervous when formulating my response. Nonetheless, it came out somewhat high-pitched. "Wh-Why did you want to sleep over today anyways?"

Kei blinked again. Then, she turned her head away, voice quiet. "…I'm hoping it'll help me sleep."

…. _wait, rewind._

_**What?** _

I knew Kei had some sleeping problems…but this?

Before I could stop myself, the words were already leaving my mouth. "... Sleep? Kei, what's been going on when I don't see you?"

The ninja turned herself over to look up at the ceiling, still not meeting my eyes. "…Nightmares." Kei then sighed. "I'll get over it."

For some reason, I didn't believe that last sentence one bit.

Instead of voicing it, my mind went somewhere else. "Kei…if it's okay to ask, what are they about? And…" I gulped. "How long have these been going on?"

Kei sighed again before turning her head to look at me with hesitant black eyes. "I…I've had nightmares every once in a while since Hayate was born. Usually not a big deal anymore." Then, she slowly shook her head, doubt showing in her eyes now. "But I get the feeling tonight's going to be a bad one."

_Oh god._

If Kei had been having nightmares since _Hayate_ was born, that would mean…

That would mean she's been dealing with this for the past _six years._

What kind of friend was I then? What kind of friend was _I_ when I didn't see the signs sooner?

What kind of person was I when I couldn't even see that _my best friend_ was suffering from something like this?

Before my thoughts could go on another tangent, I forced myself to scoot a bit closer. "…would it help if I hugged you?" I said quietly. "Because I at least know that nightmares can haunt people." The memories flooded my head, and I found myself looking down.

_This isn't the time to contemplate my past death. Right now, I need to focus on Kei._

I looked up at her with the softest smile I could muster. "I'm no different, even if my past self is the only one who has experienced them."

Kei blinked at me again. "Tried that with Hayate. Didn't help," she said curtly, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Then, she sighed again. "…Sure, might as well give it a shot."

Immediately, I laid down to wrap my arms around the ninja's waist, hugging her softly. I tried not to cry at the first thought and instead rested my nose in Kei's shoulder, a sigh escaping me. "…I wish I could do more. I'm sorry I didn't ask beforehand, Kei."

My last thought was left unsaid.

_I'm sorry for not noticing sooner._

A soft breath brushed the top of my head. Then, Kei's voice filled my ears again. "…I don't like admitting when there's a problem." Then, to my surprise, a hand touched my hair, patting it softly. Was Kei— "It's okay."

_No, it's not. It's not okay at all, Kei!_ I wanted to say. _I should've seen it sooner! I should've helped you!_

Instead of voicing it, I found myself huffing a tired breath while hugging her a bit tighter. "…But you're my _best friend,_ Kei. I should've seen it sooner so that I could've _helped_ you sooner." A sigh left me for the umpteenth time. At this rate, I was _sure_ my self-loathing would be going off the charts by the time I was 20. "I get that you don't like admitting when there's a problem. But holding it in is just going to make it worse, Kei." Without meaning to, another sigh left me. "…I should know that better than anyone, being the person I am."

_I should've helped you._

Kei sighed. "How were you supposed to just _know_ when I've been having them since before I ever met you? It's normal. For both of us." She then shook her head, resting her fingers in my hair. "Let's just go to sleep, Tomoko-chan. With any luck, I won't have nightmares."

_Hopefully._ My mind added morbidly.

Instead, I pouted. Thankfully, the lights were turned off a bit after we had set up the bedding, so I didn't have to move OR worry about Kei seeing my pout. "…okay," I decided, hugging her a bit tighter. "But if anything happens, physically or mentally, shake me awake, okay? I want to help you, Kei." A sigh left me again. "I hope nothing happens, but we can't guarantee that…just…just call me up if anything happens, alright?"

_I want to make sure that I'm there for you this time._

Kei nodded softly, resting her chin on my head now. "Alright."

And with that said, I finally let my eyes close, only able to faintly feel Kei's soft breathing above me.

It was supposed to be another peaceful night at Nagareboshi.

But a few hours later, I found myself jolted awake by a loud scream.

" _AAAAAAAAH!"_

My heart could've stopped at _that_ noise alone if not for the shuffling near me doing so already. Any thought of sleep immediately left my mind, and I found myself shooting up from the blankets in a hurry to figure out _what the hell just happened._

And when my eyes opened, the first thing I could see was a panicked Kei, slumped on herself and panting.

It was the first time I had ever seen her like that. And by _gods,_ it terrified me.

"K-Kei?! W-What is it?" I held my hands back, despite every part of me just _wanting_ to hold her.

Kei shouldn't look like that. She wasn't supposed to be so…so _scared._

Even with my voice, it didn't seem to reach her initially, her hands hugging herself. "No, n-no… Not them, not—" Then, she blinked rapidly, head shooting up almost immediately to look at me with wide eyes. "T-Tomoko?"

I could see plain _fear_ in those familiar black eyes, and panic bloomed in my chest almost instantly. I tried to squash it to instead keep a calm and soft voice. "K-Kei, it's okay. You're with me." Hesitantly, I reached over to slowly touch her hand, hoping the gesture was waking her up in some way. "You're with me, Kei."

"I'm…?" Kei trailed off, frantically looking around for a moment. "Wh—Nagareboshi," she breathed, the sound coming off very forced as she gripped my hand shakily in return. "I-I'm okay. You're okay. You're—" The last thing I was expecting was for the ninja to sit up abruptly, staring at me like I was a _ghost._ "T-Tomoko, you're okay, right?!"

I never heard Kei sound so _desperate_ before.

"Kei…Kei, I'm okay." I squeezed her hand softly while slowly scooting closer. "I'm right in front of you, aren't I? I'm okay."

_Don't worry,_ I wanted to add, but the words just couldn't come out.

Kei's eyes seemed to finally return to their normal, narrow shape, although I couldn't fault the shock in them anymore. "You—yeah, you're…" The last thing I was expecting was for her to collapse like a puppet without strings right then and there.

"Ah!" I ended up reaching out to catch her, and it resulted in Kei leaning most of her weight against me, her body almost completely limp. "K-Kei?"

"…Was I…dreaming?" She muttered, voice tired.

"Oh, Kei…" I hugged her as softly as I could, hoping she could hear me. "I won't ask about it, but I'll tell you this right now. I'm _not_ going to to leave you, alright? No matter what, you'll always find me here. In Nagareboshi, okay? So I'm not going to go. We're in this together."

_There's no way I want a repeat of back then._

Unfortunately, my words seemed to have the opposite effect as Kei's breath hitched underneath me. "I just…I-I couldn't—" A sobbing noise escaped her, and my heart could've turned to stone.

_Kei was crying._ My _best friend_ was crying.

"This—I can't—" Kei's sobs were becoming louder now. "I can't—"

"Kei…" I tried to hold back my own tears. "What can I do for you? What do you want me to do?"

"I-I…I want to go h-h-home!" She sobbed loudly.

As if on cue, Mama and Papa burst into the room with worried faces, and about an hour later, Wataru-jichan had come over in a panicked frenzy to take Kei back.

At the end of the whole thing, my room felt rather empty, even with all the blankets and pillows strewn about.

Almost fitting for a girl who couldn't do anything for her friend.

Mama and Papa ended up letting me sleep with them that night because I couldn't stop crying either.

It wasn't a good night.

* * *

With Tomoko gone, it was easy for…other things to show up.

" **Hello. I'm the Dreamer. It's nice to finally meet you."**

_Holy fucking shit._ Was all Kei could say.

* * *

The next few days passed rather quickly. And with no sign of Kei _or_ the Gekkōs anywhere near the cafe, I couldn't help but assume the worst.

And considering I was an _open book_ , a lot of customers noticed too. Thankfully, they didn't comment, but I didn't miss the many pointed, worried stares in my direction. The lack of Obito, Rin, OR Kakashi in Nagareboshi's vicinity didn't help at all.

I guess that's why I wasn't surprised Mama and Papa relegated me to waitress duty after the first depressing song I put on the piano. The customer didn't mind, but _Bad Apple?_ Not a good idea.

This lasted for two days until a Friday afternoon, where I was leaning against a counter, just _waiting_ for someone to come. It was a slow time for the cafe, but that didn't make it any less depressing.

I guess that's why when Kei opened those doors again, my mind was immediately on alert.

She seemed…quiet. Solemn, almost, in comparison to her previous entrances. She didn't even notice me until I took the chance to approach her.

There was thankfully enough of a time interval to force a smile on my face when greeting her. "H-Hi, Kei-chan. Welcome back."

The words felt like _sawdust_ in my throat.

Kei looked up at me with surprised eyes, before smiling sheepishly. "It's good to be back." She then rubbed the back of her neck, looking down for a moment. "Sorry about…that. That…that thing the other day. You didn't need to see that."

… _ **She's**_ _apologizing? Why…?_

"Y-You don't have to apologize at all, Kei!" I waved my tray in the air, trying not to be frantic. My heart was pounding regardless of what I was doing, and a part of me was _hoping_ that she couldn't see the cracks in my already broken composure. "I-It's just…" I looked away. Seeing my friend's face, completely unblemished with tears, just seemed to hurt _._ " _I'm_ the one who has to apologize and say sorry."

"Why?" Kei sounded bewildered. "I knew something would go bad. I barely warned you."

_But…but…_

Her tearstained face _still_ haunted my thoughts.

"B-But…I should've done _something,_ Kei." I found myself confessing, hoping that she couldn't notice the beginnings of— _oh no_. My nose was plugging up, and my eyes were twitching. Not now… "I should've helped you more than _that_ sorry display!" My voice was getting more high-pitched and— _no_. My vision was already starting to blur. "I-I should've…" The words couldn't come out as the first sniffles wracked me instead. "I-I should've…"

_No…No…!_

I had to force myself to turn away from Kei completely to wipe at my eyes with my kimono sleeve. She shouldn't see this.

She shouldn't see me look so pathetic.

And then, a soft sigh cut through whatever thought I was trying to come up with as an excuse. "…I didn't tell you what it was about, did I?" Footsteps sounded, and then, a hand landed on my head, patting it softly. "Come on. Story time," Kei said quietly.

… _What?_

I attempted to wipe at my eyes again before looking up at her. Even though the light stung, I could still make out her remorseful expression. "A-Are you sure?" I fessed up, feeling guilty. "I-I mean…" I took a breath. "I-It's personal, isn't it?"

_Aren't nightmares things you_ _ **don't**_ _want to share with others?_

Kei smiled at me softly, almost sad in the new angle. "I owe you an explanation. If I'd been able to talk…I don't know. Maybe I should've listened instead…" She shook her head again, her hand still on my hair. "But yeah, it's kinda personal. But kinda not."

… _Oh._

The tears were _finally_ stopping their run on my body as the words left me on instinct. "…I'll go activate the new privacy seals on the piano. Will that be okay?"

She smiled that same, lopsided grin. That grin that I missed so much. "That would be great."

Once that was said, I was already scrambling to put away the tray in my hands, ask Mama for my break, and activate said seals all at once.

It thankfully took only 10-15 minutes, but once we were sitting together on the stage, with Kei occupying the usual customer chair and me with the piano bench, that same awkward silence returned again.

Along with the urge to cry. I allowed myself a single sniffle before wiping at my eyes again. "I-I'm sorry about this, Kei…I-I just…"

_Shit._ My voice was losing volume again.

Kei didn't say a word for a moment, instead getting up from her chair to sit down next to me. If not for my current emotional crisis, it would've been easy to see that we were a mere shoulder apart. "Sometimes," Kei started quietly. "I just…I see death, every time I close my eyes." The last thing I was expecting was for her to pull me into a side-hug, hand softly squeezing my left shoulder. "I think that when I reincarnated, something got…stuck."

I tried to gulp down the lump in my throat. This was the first time in a few days we were so close, and my heart was not helping my case at ALL. "…Just like…just like how I remember…everything leading up to past me's…" It was hard to say, but I forced myself. "Everything leading up to past me's death?"

It was out there now.

A tense quiet followed, and I was now wondering whether or not I had messed up again.

Then, Kei spoke, quieter this time, but still audible. "…Sort of," she admitted, squeezing me again. "I don't remember anything unusual leading up to mine." She paused again. "I just…I keep dreaming of Hayate's death. Rin too, at least now that I've met her. Obito's psychotic break." Kei took in a shaky breath. "Thinking of Pain's invasion and then finding _your_ body in the rubble, because _of fucking course_ he didn't care about anything except taking Naruto…"

_Oh dear_ _**god** _ _._

Before I could think on the words, Kei squeezed me again, resting her cheek against my hair. " …Sorry for just dumping everything on you."

I forced myself to breathe deeply to make up for the short breaths I had been taking at that point. "…I'm sorry you had to see that, Kei," Trying not to cry, I reached over with my hand to hug Kei back, squeezing softly. "But…it's going to be okay. We have a chance to fix all this. And I'm _not_ going to leave you like that, okay Kei?"

_Not after dying like that once before._

Kei's breath tickled the tips of my hair. "I'm the one who ran. Not you." Her other hand went on to touch mine, hugging me again. "I visited a Yamanaka the other day. Got some things sorted out. Not perfectly, but it's…better. Controllable."

I wasn't sure of what to say, and voiced it, frowning. "…Are you sure? Last I remember, the only Yamanaka I saw was good at mental torture..."

_Especially since that Yamanaka was Ino's_ _ **dad**_ _of all people._

Kei shook her head softly, ruffling my hair while doing so. "Apparently, Inoshi is a bit different." She shifted, and I looked up only to find her eyes pointed at her hands. "Maybe there'll be a file on me somewhere, now, but…I didn't get the impression he was there to hurt me, or to pull things out of me. He was just…making my brain finally adapt, I think…"

_Oh. Oh._

I found myself smiling, despite it being small and hesitant. "…Well, I guess I have an option now if anything similar happens to me in the future…" A sigh left me. "But Kei, are you really okay? All I remember from that day was…well…" I looked down at my lap, fiddling with my kimono sleeves. "…you being so upset…"

_The you I could barely comfort, no less help._ My mind added in helpfully.

Another pause. Then, that same hand reached up to pat my head again. No matter how many times Kei did it, it still felt soft. "…Yeah, I was." She said gently. "Sorry for scaring you. I'm…not great, but I'm better now. And it helps to see you."

I could've been stabbed right then and there by those words alone.

_I'm not useless._

The tears were coming again, and I knew I didn't have the full willpower to stop them this time. These were ones of relief. Happiness. Things I hadn't been able to feel in the past few days. "T-That's good…a-and it's okay…I-It's just good seeing you again too, Kei…" A sniffle left me.

_Because I thought you hated me._

Kei had stopped patting my head, but her hand still rested on my hair nonetheless. "I'm…I'm not always gonna be willing or able to ask for help." Even though she wasn't resting her cheek on my head anymore, I knew she was smiling. "But knowing you care helps, a lot."

I started to hiccup. "O-Of course I care, Kei! You're my best friend…there's n-no way I wouldn't—" My breath hitched as the first tears dripped down onto my kimono dress.

_Oh no._

"…oh no…" I found myself echoing harshly.

Immediately, a handkerchief was put into my line of vision as Kei's voice turned sympathetic. "Here. Blow," she said simply.

I just grabbed it and blew my nose as hard as I could. It made me sound like an elephant AND feel like shit, but it at least lessened the weight on my heart at least a little bit. " _Uuuugh_ …I-I'm the w-worst crybaby ever…"

Kei reached over to pat my head again. "I'm not gonna tell you not to care. Caring too much can suck, but it's one of the things I admire about you, Tomoko-chan."

My self-composure promptly shattered.

I barely had time to look up at her with wide eyes at the comment before hugging her, burying my face into her shoulder. The familiar scent of ink and mochi flooded my nose, even if it was a bit dulled, and resulted in the tears coming out even more. I couldn't even stop them at this point. "T-Thank you, Kei…" More sniffles on my part. "C-Could we stay like this for a bit…?"

A soft hum reverberated through Kei's figure as she hugged me back, patting my back softly. "Sure. As long as you want."

… _I don't deserve someone as great as you._

It took at least half an hour to silently get all my tears out, but it was worth it. The privacy seals were an added bonus.

Even when being in the middle of Nagareboshi Cafe, it was just Kei and I.

And I never felt anymore safe.

Once I was out of tears to shed, I made sure to slowly peel myself away from the ninja, even when I could feel the wince coming on. "I-I hope your shirt isn't _too_ soaked, Kei…"

She just grinned that lopsided grin again while tugging at said shirt. "It's fine. I always wear two layers, so lemme just—" The last thing I was expecting was for her to slip it off like any _other_ old rag to bundle up into a ball, still grinning along the way. Kei then had the audacity to display said shirt ball like a trophy. "Ta-dah! Dry again!"

And sure enough, the shirt still left on her was untouched by any of my snot and tears.

… _What. The. Heck._

I tried not to deadpan and instead sighed. "…Kei…" I just grabbed her face in my hands to pull her close. Not to do anything inappropriate, but just have our foreheads touch.

She needed to hear this. I needed to say this.

I sighed. She blinked. "…Tomoko?"

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up and all, Kei, but before we do anything else, hear me out, okay?" I waited for her to give me a sign to continue and when one of her hands touched my right, I took that as the signal, closing my eyes.

"I'm going to be staying with you to the very end, Kei, okay? Promise that you'll remember that. No matter what happens, no matter what goes on or what shit goes down, I'm going to be together with you on this." I took a breath. "I'm not going to try _dying on purpose_ or anything, alright? I'm going to stay with you, until the end of our days. So…" I opened my eyes again to make eye contact with her properly, smiling for what felt like the first time in _years_ when it was really a few days. "Promise me you won't forget that?"

_Promise that you won't forget me?_

Kei blinked, clearly surprised, before taking a deep breath. A few seconds passed, and then she squeezed my hand softly, smiling sheepishly at me. "…Okay. I promise."

I found myself smiling a little brighter before hugging her again and looking back at the piano.

There was one last thing I needed to do.

"…Tomoko?" Kei sounded dumbfounded at my side, but I simply raised a finger to my lips in a sign of silence.

I had to uphold my job again.

The piano keys seemed to almost croon sweetly under my touch as the words came out without my having to think on them.

" _Long ago, before we met,_

_I dreamed about you._

_The peace you'd bring._

_The songs we'd sing._

_The way you'd make things new._ "

Kei seemed to relax at my side, sitting almost stone still while leaning against my shoulder softly. I continued to sing.

" _Then one day, you arrived._

_I heard your angel cry._

_Helpless, small, and perfect,_

_Welcome to your life._

_And on that day, I made a vow._

_Whispered and true._

_No matter what, no matter how,_

_I made this promise to you._

_I will cling, I will clutch,_

_I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away._

_I won't leave, I won't go,_

_I will stay with you all our days._ "

Even without looking, I knew Kei was smiling. I kept going, pressing the keys softly.

" _Years of joy have passed since then._

_With time I've seen you grow._

_Watched you play, new each day._

_I begged the time to slow._

_And though I miss the little girl,_

_You've made me awful proud._

_Funny how our lives change,_

_'Cause you're my hero now._

_But things in life will rearrange._

_Friends come and go._

_Don't ever doubt, don't ever fear,_

_I'm always here and you know._

_I will cling, I will clutch,_

_I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away._

_I won't leave, I won't go,_

_I will stay with you all our days._ "

The last note held its presence in the air for just the two of us to hear as I finished the last line.

" _I will stay with you all our days._ "

When the music finally faded away, I turned to Kei. She was finally looking like that girl I had first met, grinning in that…well, _Kei-_ way, soft, gruff, and understanding all at once. Her cowlicks added into the strangely adorable image as I found a shy smile come onto my face.

"Did…Did my feelings reach you?" I found myself asking.

Kei nodded, that same warm smile on her face. "Sure did." Was all she said.

Tears were budding in my eyes again, but I made sure to wipe them away before hugging her again. "…Yay…" I choked out.

My best friend was back.

She wasn't fully better, but she was alright.

And things were going to be better with her beside me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Not much else to say here except "Thank you."
> 
> To all my readers, followers, and so on who have just joined us for this crossover.
> 
> And most importantly, to Lang, for her amazing support to this project.
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to finish Chapter 39 of Civilian Pianist. See you guys there.


	8. How to Start This?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Nana Mizuki's own Innocent Starter, the first single I ever recall hearing from her and the main opening theme for the first season of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Any version works, but I would like to point you towards the original song since the vocals and tone do capture the mood I was trying to write here. An alternative is the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st Instrumental version because of the soft peacefulness it has.
> 
> On the other hand, Tomoko does sing a unique little dango song in the middle of the chapter known as Dango Daikazoku, so please check that out as well! It does its job of filling you with warm fuzzies pretty nicely~
> 
> And another performance song! Yes, Tomoko does play it here. This time, marasy's piano cover of the famous God Knows from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Please go check out the cover and the original song!
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 8_ : _How to Start This?_

It seemed like winter would always be the season where everything would change.

Before I get all sappy on you, I guess it's best I rewind a bit for you to follow.

It was when I was eight years old that I first learned how to use my chakra.

Sounds like a lot, right? And it was.

It started when Kei was visiting Nagareboshi Cafe one afternoon. Since she had just gotten out of the Academy and, for once, didn't have to volunteer at the hospital, she had decided to plop herself down in the chair next to the piano.

I was about to start on a song when she tapped my shoulder.

"…Tomoko-chan," She leaned over, cupping a hand over her mouth while whispering in my ear. I didn't miss how she pressed on the privacy seal near the piano keys either. "You know the White Fang?"

My heart stopped. "K-Kei?" I stage-whispered, glancing at her so quickly to where my hair smacked my face. "Wha…How…"

_When did we start talking about_ _**this** _ _?_

She pointed a thumb behind her. "…the dude's standing like. Right there."

I glanced behind her shoulder in the direction of her thumb, only to nearly choke.

Spiky white hair, tied into a small ponytail. The same Konoha Jounin green flak jacket, accompanied by a short white, red-bordered cuffed sleeve on his right shoulder. With a smaller head of spiky silver hair near the man's waist, I knew it had to be them.

The White Fang and his son.

"…Oh no." I said.

Oh dear god. Oh no.

_Oh no._

I didn't even realize I was gaping until Kei reached over to close my mouth. "Tomoko-chan, you were leaving it open again," she deadpanned.

"…Kei?" I stumbled, my eyes still wide when glancing at her.

"…Yes?" She mumbled back with a raised eyebrow.

"Are they…" I was squeaking loudly now, probably from the shock, no doubt. "Are they…Are they looking over here?"

Kei just poked my cheek, grinning sheepishly. "Sensor, remember? He's not that far away, and they _are_ staring this way."

_Oh dear god,_ _**no** _ _._

I tried not to panic and instead hung my head, finding myself _very_ tempted to just hug the ninja and hide myself away as soon as possible. Instead, I found myself saying, "…I don't know if I should be excited or terrified."

"…Is Sakumo mean or something?" Kei asked, hand lightly landing on my head. "He doesn't feel like it."

 _To you, a ninja that can defend herself?_ _ **Sure!**_ I wanted to scream.

Instead, I just bonked my forehead against the piano keys. Not too hard to make a bad note, but hard nonetheless. "Plot reasons, Kei. Plot reasons." I was tempted to cry now. "And your sensor abilities frighten me sometimes."

Kei paused, huffing a breath out in the process. "It's passive, not…all that useful. But I get the plot bit."

 _Thank you, friend! I'm not alone,_ _ **suffering**_ _in the twists that is Kishimoto's horrible writing now!_

Why couldn't I have been reborn into _Pretty Cure_ of all things? Being a magical girl sounded a _lot_ nicer than this! I was not ready! I wasn't ready for this kind of—

I bonked my head against the piano again, making the strings let out a hoarse chorus of notes. And again. And again. And again until a hand caught my forehead.

"Tomoko-chan, you're going to lose brain cells," Kei deadpanned from above me, lifting my head effortlessly before lightly flicking it with the same hand. "And everyone's staring."

_Huh?_

I glanced around only to feel heat spread across my face.

_**Why is everyone staring?!** _

The eyes were _seriously_ starting to hurt.

My heart couldn't take anymore and I promptly buried myself in Kei's shoulder.

…While ignoring her squawk of surprise.

"…Tomoko?" Kei said, hands landing on my shoulders almost immediately.

"I hate Plot." My voice was a mere whimper now as my head started to throb from the many times I bonked it. If I had a mirror, it would probably show piano shaped marks to me. Joy. "I _hate_ Plot. So. Freaking. Much." A self-deprecating laugh reminiscent of a dead comedian left me as I hung my head, burying myself further into Kei's sweatshirt. "Next thing you know, my chakra's probably acting up _because_ of the plot…Why…?"

A breath sounding like a cross between a sigh and a chuckle brushed my hair, and then I could feel a hand on my head. "Well, everything seems to have chakra." Kei mused quietly. "But I won't deny that yours and mine is weird. ...Yours more than mine, weirdly enough. It feels like you're constantly using it."

… _wait,_ _ **what**_ _?_

I blinked before pulling away to look at her. "Kei?"

She raised another eyebrow at me, black eyes wide with some surprise. "Yes?"

"Please tell me you were joking." I said flatly, poking the hand that wasn't on my head. "That last part was completely unintentional and _sarcastic_."

The ninja paused again, glancing away from my stare into her head. "…Um," she started intelligently. A few seconds passed before she turned back to me with a shaky frown. "You could get it looked at? Because no, I'm not…" Kei trailed off.

I was _very_ tempted to bonk my head into the piano again. And this time, I did so, with a bit more force and making the loudest, unintentionally bad song ring through the cafe for a second. I didn't even _care_ that people were still staring - I needed some frustration out! " _Uggggghhhhhhh_ ….."

"...Tomoko, I don't think smacking your head is going to help anything." Kei deadpanned behind my shoulder.

"I knoooooow…"

Where was the tiny white 'surrender' flag when you needed one?

"Tomoko-chan?" Mama's voice floated over to me from the front of the cafe, not really all that close because of the privacy seals, but still noticeable. "You okay?"

I just raised a hand in a very tired 'Ah-Okay' circle sign for a few seconds before letting it flop against my side with a sigh.

I was sure Kei was sweat dropping now. "...Tomoko?"

After the horrendous sound of my 'piano slap' faded into the cold air, I just laid my forehead against the keys. "…Kei, could you punch me?"

" **No** ," the ninja said immediately, her hand going down to my shoulders. "And why do you want me to do _that_?"

"To see if I'm dreaming or not." I mumbled. "If that doesn't work, could you pinch me instead?"

A few seconds later, a slight pain signifying my friend doing as I asked went through my right arm, and it was enough of a jolt to make me lift my head off the piano keys. Buuuuut I could guess that I wasn't looking that great, especially when judging Kei's raised eyebrow at me. I ended up sighing again.

The ninja inclined her head towards me, black eyes shining with…concern? "Tomoko-chan, you should go take a break. Today's a wash."

_Huh?_

"But…Kei-chan, I didn't give you a song yet…" The protest left me without any second thoughts. And…why was she suggesting it? Especially when _I_ was the one who was supposed to help _her_ relax…

So…why?

Kei frowned at me again, poking my head lightly with her pointer finger. I tried not to wince at the gesture, since it was still throbbing from my whole freak-out earlier. "Tomoko, you're stressing yourself out more than _I_ am right now. And that's saying something," she smiled sheepishly. "How about you ask Judai-jichan for your break and we can go out somewhere? It'll be my treat this time."

_**Huh?** _

I tried not to gape. "K-Kei, are you sure? You don't have to—"

She grinned a brighter smile. "I want to. We could head out to have dango or something. You haven't tried dango yet, right?"

"N-No," I said, blinking.

"Then that settles it, right?" Kei shrugged her shoulders. "We could grab Hayate, Obito, and Rin-chan, and we'd all hang out. Then we'll figure out the Plot another time." She jumped off the customer chair, and then offered her hand. "So, why not?"

I blinked again. "Kei…"

She smiled again. "C'mon, Tomoko-chan. Let's have a bit of fun."

A smile of my own found its way onto my face. I reached over to disable the privacy seal and bring down the piano cover before going over to take Kei's hand. "Okay."

The ninja grinned once more before pulling me off the piano bench and in the direction of the cafe's kitchen. "Judai-jichan!" she called, waving her other hand in the air. "I'm going to kidnap Tomoko-chan for a bit, okay?"

"…wait, _what_?" I found myself squeaking out. "Kei?!"

Papa poked his head out from behind the bar, blinking. "Where to, Kei-kun?"

"My house!" Kei sounded _chipper_ despite my earlier protest, grinning happily. "Then we'll be heading out to get dango! So can I?"

Papa just glanced at me, wiping his hands on a towel before grinning. "Okay, kids. Just a minute." He walked around the bar before kneeling down to my height and taking my other hand.

"…Papa?" I started. He gave me a bright grin, clasping my hand with both of his for a few moments. Once the silence had nestled in, he took his hands away, and I looked down only to see a few hundred ryō bills nestled in my palm.

"Be safe out there, Tomoko-chan. Papa'll handle the stage today," he poked my forehead, winking cheerfully. "Go have fun."

I found myself sucking in a breath before smiling. "O-Okay, Papa!"

He grinned again before glancing at Kei. "Don't get into trouble, Kei-kun. Keep Tomoko-chan with you, okay?"

Kei was grinning an equally large smile back. "Got it!"

And then she was pulling me out of the cafe. I barely had enough time to stash the money into my kimono dress pocket and wave happily in Mama _and_ Kakashi's directions before getting out into the fresh air.

"Let's go, Tomoko!" Kei cheered.

"Y-Yeah, Kei! Hold up!"

* * *

" _Heeeeh?_ " Obito chomped down on a piece of dango while leaning back on his other hand, looking up towards the clouds. We were somehow able to snag a table with an umbrella covering half of it with the shade, and the Uchiha and I decided to sit on the sunny end while Kei, Rin, and Hayate-chan all took the shady end. Just because. "So Tomoko-chan, you've never had dango before?"

I looked down at my own stick, twirling it with a hesitant smile. "Y-Yeah…today's the first time I've taken a full half-day break from work or something. Normally I stay in the cafe and help Mama and Papa at the piano and serving customers."

"All the time?" Obito glanced at me, blinking. "You don't go to school, Tomoko-chan?"

Heat flooded my face. "W-Well, I've been homeschooled. Mama, Papa, and the hired help all go about teaching me things when it's been breaktime."

Kei blinked, halfway in biting her own dango before bringing the stick down to speak. "Huh. Didn't realize you were in the same boat as me."

"Oh yeah," Rin chewed a piece of pink dango before covering her mouth and swallowing. "Kei, you were homeschooled until your enrollment in the Academy too, huh?"

"Yep." Kei popped the last syllable for emphasis before chewing on another dango, half an eye kept on Hayate in the meantime. From the looks of it, he seemed to be enjoying the sweets, judging by his happy face. "I guess that's why I'm in the same grade as you guys despite starting late."

I found myself giggling a bit nervously. "I-I guess for me, when working, I just wanted to help Mama and Papa out, so I've just been at Nagareboshi. Today's really the first day I've gone outside to do something other than visit Kei's house and study at the library."

"Study?" Obito sounded bewildered now, and I didn't miss how he leaned a bit closer to look at me with interest. "Study what?"

"Um…" I blinked, chewing on a piece of my own dango in the meantime. The sweetness helped, but it was just really finding the words. "Shinobi history, the foundation of Konoha, clans, um…Jutsu…" I trailed off, counting fingers while doing so. "Just general stuff?"

"…Tomoko-chan, that doesn't really sound like 'general stuff.'" Kei deadpanned.

Heat flooded me again. "W-What? I can't help it! It looked interesting!"

_Not to mention if it helps with wrestling the Plot, I don't mind. The books were interesting to read despite the kanji being a bit difficult._

But I didn't voice it and found myself pouting instead, slumping into my side of the bench with a frown. The surprised stares Obito and Rin were sending in my direction weren't helping.

But then. But then.

"Neh neh, Tomoko-neechan!" Hayate piped up, and the frustration left me almost immediately. I turned to the boy with a warm smile, almost completely forgetting the previous topic.

"What is it, Hayate-chan?" I didn't even realize I was using a cutesy, baby-kind of voice until he was pouting at me. If he was trying to look threatening, it went right over my head and instead turned into an adorable arrow that ended up _stabbing_ me in the heart.

I tried not to squeal.

_Ohmigod, he looks so CUTE!_

"Tomoko-neechan, I'm not little anymore! You don't have to use _-chan!_ " He scowled, chomping down on another piece of dango. I tried not to chuckle and instead shrugged.

"Still, what is it, Hayate?"

Thankfully, the boy fell for the topic change and started beaming cutely again, brown hair framing his face. "Could you sing something again, like the last time you came over? The last song was really cool!"

… _Eh?_

What?

"…Tomoko-chan, you sing?" Rin blinked, just about to put her finished dango stick back on the plate.

_What?_

I closed my mouth to blink, absently putting my unfinished dango back onto the plate in the meantime to focus on the boy. "…Uh, Hayate-kun, could you repeat what you just said?"

The boy frowned at me again. "Sing, Tomoko-neechan! We're out here in the sun and stuff, so why not? Your voice is really pretty!"

_**What?** _

I found my face turning red. The heat traveled up to my cheeks so quickly, it felt like I was turning into a human furnace. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if steam was rolling out of my ears now. My heart's insistent _pounding_ was only making things worse. "S-S-S-Sing?!" I ended up squeaking out.

"Tomoko-chan, you _sing_?" Obito's loud voice did _not_ help at all, because as soon as I turned in his direction, his orange goggles were nearly in my _face_ as he leaned in to stare at me with wide eyes. "I didn't know you did that! I thought you only did piano!"

"Me too!" Rin piped up, sounding almost _too_ eager for my liking. "Please, Tomoko-chan?"

_Oh no. Oh no._

I glanced at Kei for what could possibly be the final verdict. "K-K-Kei-chaaaan~?!"

To my growing embarrassment, she just grinned that same lopsided grin while patting Hayate's head in what I assumed to be a symbol of 'Good job!', or something. "Go on, Tomoko-chan. Hayate asked already. You have to do it."

"E-Ehhhhhh?" My hands flew to my cheeks in the slightest hope that it would cover the massive amount of heat I was giving off right now. "B-But…"

"Tomoko-chan, please~?" Obito started.

"Please~?" Rin added with a giggle.

"Please, Tomoko-neechan?" Hayate finished, raising a hand in the air with the most innocent and bright smile I had ever seen.

_Oh my._

I would never be able to win against these people.

I found myself sighing shakily before removing my hands from my face. "O-Okay, okay, I'll sing something. But what do you want me to sing, Hayate?"

The boy blinked, apparently not expecting my question before looking up at his sister. Kei just gave him a warm grin back, and it was enough. Hayate looked back at me with a similar smile while shrugging his shoulders. "Anything, neechan! Just sing like you always do for me and Sis!"

 _Anything?_ I blinked before closing my eyes in thought. I didn't miss how Obito, Rin, and Kei all went silent in what appeared to be anticipation. _Let's see…what can I sing…?_

And then I noticed my dango. Since I still had 2 sticks left, there were exactly 8 balls of dango left on the plate, glistening from the sugar with their different colors.

_There's blue, pink, white, orange…Oh!_

A smile reached my face as the lyrics came naturally to my throat. "Okay then…" I took a breath.

The three Academy students, plus one little brother, all leaned a bit closer as I opened my mouth and started, swinging my pointer finger in the air to the beat.

" _Dango, dango, dango, dango, dango daikazoku."_

There was nothing better than letting my new, unofficial 'family' outside of Mama and Papa hear my feelings for them.

" _The mischievous roasted dumpling, the gentle jam dumpling…_

_Put them all together to make a family of one hundred."_

Needless to say, by the time I finished, we were all ordering another round of dango. Right after the large group hug and the many words of praise, surprising enough as it was. Standouts being Obito and Rin's delighted shouts and Hayate's version of a tackle-hug that started it all.

It was a bit weird being the 'tackled' instead of the 'tackler', but it was worth it. Hayate's giggles were just music to my ears.

"That was really pretty, Tomoko-neechan! Thank you!"

"Of course, Hayate~! Anything for you~!" I ended up snuggling him for _quite_ a while afterwards. Even when he started squeaking out protests.

Whaaaaat? I never got the chance to be the older sibling! Just let me have some fun!

Kei, on the other hand, ended up bursting into laughter halfway through the whole thing.

This was how it should've been.

* * *

…If only. If only.

The next day, since it was a weekend, I ended up stopping by Kei's house and she immediately took me into her room to throw a privacy seal on the door and sit me down on a cushion.

"Well, we have to handle the chakra situation at one point…" she muttered it almost dryly, making sure to close the door before plopping herself down on a cushion opposite of me. "So. Where to start?"

"…Just to make sure, Kei?" I piped up, very close to biting my own lip from the tension.

"Yes?" She gave me a raised eyebrow.

"This is about…my chakra, not yours, right?" I said intelligently.

"…Yep," she popped the last syllable while I felt my heart sink again.

Once again, I ended up slamming my head into something. This time, into the center table that was in her room. Needless to say, the resulting noise wasn't fun.

_BAM._

"…Ow," I deadpanned.

The resulting pain wasn't that great either.

But then. _But then_. There was _still_ a part of me that _still_ felt like adding more to the pain load because the Plot was _that_ ridiculous.

So. I was about to do it _again_ , with more force in mind until Kei's hand suddenly appeared in front of my face. "Tomoko, don't start this again. You already lost enough brain cells yesterday. Kinda need you coherent if we're going to do this," she deadpanned.

"…Oh," was all that left me, and I found myself leaning into her hand instead. "Okay."

The ninja blinked as a quiet pause followed. "…Do you need a minute, or—?"

"One second," I interrupted, and then put all my frustrations into one loud, final sigh. Strangely, the resulting noise sounded much like a dying ship trying to leave port by the end of it. I guess having a high-pitched voice meant having the leisure in making the weirdest sound-waves to ever come into existence. Thankfully, it did do its desired effect of getting out all my qualms from the past day, so I was able to lift my head off of Kei's hand and just rest my chin on my own palm.

"Better?" Kei started, inclining her head.

"Aye." I held back the urge to sigh again and simply rested my hands into my lap before taking a breath. "So, where do we start? I mean… _my chakra_ being weirder than yours, Kei? No offense intended, but that sounds really far-fetched."

"I'm not the one who's almost constantly using hers," she said dryly.

"And that's what I don't get," I gulped the nervous lump down my throat to look up at her. "Why does it _feel_ like the opposite? I'm not tired or anything." I looked down at my hand, flexing my fingers for emphasis. "And isn't chakra use more noticeable, like that big 'Super Seiyan' blue aura or something?"

Kei raised an eyebrow. "…Tomoko, I don't think that's how chakra works."

I held back another sigh to instead frown. "Last I remember, by the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War, it kinda looked like that with Kaguya, Naruto, Sasuke, AND Kakashi all pulling powerful jutsu after jutsu out of their _asses._ "

"…You still hate canon, don't you?" Kei said slowly.

"With a passion," I huffed, crossing my arms against my chest while turning away stubbornly. "And that's why magical girl stuff made _more_ sense."

"…As much as hearing you rant about magical girl stuff and canon is great and all," The ninja shrugged. "I still have to tell you what _is_ going on in the chakra department, don't I?"

"Uh, you started it, Kei," I said cluelessly, easing up on the mental rage in the meantime. "So yes?"

Kei facepalmed before dragging her hand across her face. I wasn't sure whether or not to feel sympathetic or joyful in the fact that she was dealing with canon bullshit as much as I was. "…Okay," she puffed. "Long, tedious-as-all-hell textbook explanation or the short, sweet, hand-waved one?"

I blinked. Then raised a finger in the air. "Uh…civilian here? Short is probably better."

" _Okay_ , fair enough," she replied, leaning back into her cushion while looking up at the ceiling. I couldn't see her full expression, but judging by her posture, she at least was taking the time to come up with an explanation. "To keep it simple?"

"…Yeah?" I said, trying not to sound too nervous. Thankfully, my voice made it sound somewhat surprised if anything, so that was a thing.

Kei sighed again, glancing at me. "Your chakra's…different, Tomoko. It's still the same chakra like everyone else, but it feels…" she waved a hand in the air as if to illustrate her surprise. "It feels different. Like it's everywhere, but not."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Let me rephrase that," Kei raised a hand while glancing at the table for a second. "Your chakra is doing something I've never seen or felt from anyone before. It…it blends in better with the background noise of the world than most, so I don't know if other people can feel it. But it's at its strongest when you play piano."

I blinked again. Then my jaw dropped. "…Wait a second. Wait. Wait." My voice was raising in pitch again. "Kei? I-It's strongest when…when I-I play the piano?!"

The ninja seemed to be caught between gaping and frowning. "Um. Yes?" she said finally, looking away to scratch at her cheek. "…I don't feel as much of it otherwise."

"E-Eh? Eh? _Ehhhhh_?" I repeated, starting to sound like a broken record. "Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear."

"Tomoko?" Kei blinked at me.

I was trying not to slam my head into the table again. Nonetheless, my heart pounding in my chest wasn't helping the situation in the slightest. "Oh dear. Oh dear." I repeated.

"…Tomoko, it's not harmful," Kei tried to amend, her voice rising an octave as well. "It's _definitely_ not hurting me. And believe me, I'm wayyyyy too sensitive not to notice if it did."

"Then—" I gaped, caught between swaying shakily on my cushion seat or falling over. "Then…Wha…wha…"

It hit me.

Prettyyyyyy hard.

"Oh no." I whispered, finding myself leaning my forehead against the table. Thankfully, I wasn't slamming it into the table, but I was still sulking nonetheless. "Oh dear god, no."

"…Tomoko?" Kei started hesitantly from above my head.

"Keeeeeeeiiiiiiii…" I whimpered, the sound coming off rather pitiful from the table muffling it. "I'm _fucked._ "

"…How did we go from talking about your chakra to deciding which one of us is more screwed than the other?" Kei gaped, but nonetheless, I could feel her hand touching my head. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Kei. Kei. Kei. Kei." I whimpered again. "You don't get it. This isn't good. At all."

"…How? I said it's not hurting me," Kei continued, her hand now patting my head in what seemed to be a comforting gesture.

"That's not it…!" I groaned while lightly bonking my head against the table. "My chakra acting up like this means only one thing. And it's NOT ninjutsu."

The hand on my head stopped moving. "Then what…?" Kei trailed off.

"It's _ninshu_ , Kei." I whimpered, smacking my head a bit harder. "I'm somehow using the Sage of Six Path's _original_ version of chakra, and I. Don't. Know. How. I'm. Freaking. Doing. _It_!"

"…Wait, Tomoko, you can't be saying..." Kei was gaping even more now. "… _The_ Sage. As in Hagoromo Otsutsuki. _That_ Sage? The guy who made the Tailed Beasts _and_ helped seal away the original Ten Tails…?"

" _Uguuuuuuu_ …" I mumbled now. "I'm soooooo screwed…"

The same hand on my head lightly threaded through my hair. "... I'll go get Mom and Dad. How does that sound?"

"That would be nice, Kei…" I whimpered, waving a hand in the air in the motion of a flag while still glaring down at the table. Now if ONLY I had an actual white flag, then it would've worked. "Pleaseeeeeeee?"

A sigh sounded. "... I'll be back in a bit then."

* * *

"Sooooo," Wataru-jichan started, glancing down at me. "Tomoko-chan, your chakra is acting up?"

I couldn't bear to look up at him, and simply nodded.

How else could I say it?

Kei's constant presence next to me wasn't helping.

The sound of shuffling. Then, a warm hand landed on my head. "How long has this been going on?" Miyako-bachan's voice sounded in front of me. It should've calmed my nerves, but all it did was make the sweat beading my face even more noticeable. I couldn't even look up at her because I just couldn't move.

How _was_ I supposed to start this?!

"Uhhhhhh…."

"No, no. Hang on, Miyako-chan," Wataru-jichan's voice again, and I found myself jumping when a big, rugged hand took hold of mine. Even with the large size and the various callouses, they were…soft? "Tomoko-chan, what does it feel like?"

"…" I gulped the nervousness down again and finally looked up to see Wataru-jichan staring at me with worried eyes. "Um. Uhhhh…" I took in a breath. "…nothing?" Even if it was honest, a part of me _really_ wanted to smack myself for how ridiculous it sounded. But it was true. My chakra seemed like such a faraway, distant thing—so the fact that I was unconsciously _using_ it seemed ridiculous.

But Kei wouldn't lie to me. I know she wouldn't.

I breathed in again, trying not to tear up while looking up at Wataru-jichan. "I seriously don't know…Th-This is the first time ever…"

Kei glanced at me with a hesitant smile. "Just tell Dad what you told me, Tomoko?"

… _That sounds better than anything else I came up with._

"O-Okay…" I nodded before looking up at the two adults again. "W-well, t-thing is, Wataru-jichan, Miyako-bachan, um." I gulped the lump in my throat down again. This was getting ridiculous. C'mon me! "I-I think…I think my chakra's been reaching out to people without me…well, really meaning to."

It sounded careless. It sounded so _ridiculous_. And yet…

"Hm." Miyako-bachan hummed while inclining her head at me. "Could you demonstrate, Tomoko-chan?"

… _Huh?_ I looked up at the woman, and there was no mistaking it.

Miyako-bachan was curious, but she believed me.

Miyako-bachan. Completely. _Believed_ me?

I found myself gaping. "U-Um. Uh, okay?" It came out more as a question than an actual answer. "C-Could we head over to Nagareboshi Cafe then, Miyako-bachan? I-I need to play the piano for it to…well…work?" I didn't even realize I was glancing at Kei until she was smiling at me.

Was this happening? Was this…really happening?

Wataru-jichan just glanced at his wife before beaming down at me in a grin. "Alright then. C'mon, kids. We're heading over to Nagareboshi Cafe."

"I'm coming too!" Hayate piped up, jumping in the air for emphasis. "I wanna help Tomoko-neechan!"

Miyako-bachan took her hand off my head to instead reach for Hayate's outstretched one, smiling serenely. "Well, that settles it." The woman then glanced at Kei with warm eyes. "Are you okay with this, Kei-chan?"

I glanced over only to see Kei grin. "Of course I am, Mom."

_Whoa._

_This…This is seriously happening, isn't it?_

My heart beat softly in happiness as a shaky laugh left me. "O-Okay then, let's do this. I-I'll do my best no matter what happens."

" _At least I'll try,_ " went unsaid. But from the looks of it, I didn't need to say it.

Wataru-jichan grinned white teeth at me, still squeezing my hand softly. "Of course you will, Tomoko-chan."

 _Lub-dub._ My heart agreed happily.

* * *

Knocking on the doors of Nagareboshi Cafe felt somewhat strange considering Mama and Papa were still home. If anything, I could guess that they weren't expecting me back until later tonight, judging by the sound of shuffling inside the building and a yelp.

"—ust a minute!" Mama's muffled voice echoed from past the doors a few seconds later.

"…Wonder what they were doing in there?" Wataru-jichan mused.

Miyako-bachan raised an eyebrow at him while gripping Hayate's hand a little tighter.

"What do you mean by that, Dad?" Hayate asked obliviously.

I just glanced at Kei before shaking my head vigorously. She turned pink in response before repeating the same notion towards her brother.

I did _not_ want to know what my parents did by themselves when I was out of the house. That was _not_ comfortable territory.

… _Urgh._

The doors promptly slammed open a few seconds later, and I had to literally jump out of the way if it meant not getting hit by them. Thankfully, my reflexes were getting better, so I didn't crash into anything or anyone with the leap, and soon enough, Mama was at the door, puffing. She was dressed in her usual casual kimono, but the collar seemed to be a bit loose and her hair was messy, so…

"Hi, Hikari-chan!" Wataru-jichan waved a hand energetically. "Hope you don't mind if we stopped by!"

"N-no, no, not at all!" Mama giggled before bowing her head courteously, and I didn't miss how a hair strand fell out of place. "It's good to see you again, Wataru-kun, Miyako-chan. Why don't you come in?"

"It's good to see you, Hikari," Miyako-bachan continued quietly, inclining her head back in return. "Thank you for taking us in again on such short notice. Even though…" she paused, glancing at Mama for a moment. "Did we catch you when you were busy?"

Mama flushed a light red.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"O-On another note~!" I squeaked, raising a hand in the air. "M-Mama, could we borrow the piano really quick? I-I need to check something!"

She blinked before looking down at me with wide blue eyes. "T-Tomoko-chan?" Mama brushed through her hair with a stray hand while still focusing on me. And why wasn't it in her usual ponytail— "…Piano? Why?"

Wataru-jichan took that moment to step in by walking past Mama and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll explain in a bit," I didn't miss how his voice turned a bit solemn. "Anyways, Hikari-chan, where's Judai?"

Mama flushed red again. "C-Cleaning up inside. I can go get him." And then she scurried back inside. " _JUUUUUUDAAAAIIIII!_ "

My hand was left dangling in the air. "…Uhhhhh, Mama, I didn't get an answer…" The sentence didn't even fully leave my mouth by the time I was essentially eating her dust. And was there…

I blinked before pushing the doors open and taking a step inside the cafe. Nothing had changed from the usual scenery, except…

Miyako-bachan towered over me, reaching down to pick up the object of interest. "Hm. A spare kimono obi. I wonder where this came from." She twisted her wrist to look at it more closely.

I shared a glance with Kei before running over to the stage.

_Nope. Nope._ _**Nope** _ _!_

_NO AWKWARDNESS IN THIS BUILDING!_

I plopped myself down onto the familiar bench, shaking my head before throwing the key cover up.

It was when those black and white keys came into view that I found myself freezing.

 _Wait, amIupforthis?! WhatifImessup, andsomethinghappens?! Inthiskindasituation, doesn'tsomethingalwayshappen?! WhatshouldIdo, whatshouldIdo, whatshouldI_ —

Two hands gently landed on top of mine.

I blinked. The noise from my head was gone. I turned, and Kei and Hayate were both staring at me with varying degrees of smiles, the siblings having pulled chairs over to sit next to me.

"You got this, Tomoko-nee!" Hayate beamed, squeezing my fingers with that childlike innocence.

Kei, on the other hand, didn't say a word, only nodding her head while squeezing both Hayate's and my hands at once with hers.

"Don't worry, Tomoko-chan!" I looked up, and Wataru-jichan was waving at me from the door leading to the inside of the house. "I'll make sure to explain everything to your parents. In the meantime, play just like you always do! Miyako-chan's right outside the front door to check if anything's wrong!"

The soft knock on said doors was his following response, and I then turned towards the front of the cafe only to see Miyako-bachan wave a hand from the window, smiling.

… _Oh._

I gulped down the lump in my throat, closed my eyes to nod to myself a few times, and then turned back to the black and white keys.

This was going to be a pivotal moment.

Would my chakra stay silent? Or would it follow the notes?

Hayate and Kei pulled back their respective hands before I started playing the first verse.

_For once, I hope there is some kind of God out there. Because if there is, please._

_Please let me know if God Knows about all this. About what we're doing. Enough so that I don't have to feel like this is the most ill-thought-out thing ever._

I never thought I would hear the notes come out so fiercely. The original song was for a cultural festival, played by the persona of God herself, but me? Using _just_ piano?

It felt like an old friend was showing a new side of themselves to me.

I didn't even realize I had finished the piece moments later until a hand touched my forearm. I opened my eyes, and turned to see Hayate beaming up at me.

"That was great, Tomoko-nee! I think that's the best song you've played yet!" He cheered happily.

I tried not to gape as my heart decided at that moment to _scream._

Not in the bad way, mind you.

In the ' _Ohmigod, he'ssocute, didhejust_ _ **compliment**_ _me?!_ ' kind of way.

I know. I'm hopeless AND helpless when it comes to this boy.

"Um, t-thank you?" I found myself saying in my funk, blinking rapidly. "I-I was not expecting my hands to be _that_ fast…"

Kei was grinning at me from above Hayate's hair, shaking her head fondly. "At this point, I don't even know _why_ you're always so nervous, Tomoko."

"…I try?"

Then Miyako-bachan walked back into the cafe, inclining her head at me with a tentative smile. "Well, Tomoko-chan, your chakra seems to have an interesting effect, to say the least. Almost like a spread of pure emotion." The last thing I was expecting was for her to actually take a seat on my immediate left of the piano bench, resting a hand on my head. "Thankfully, it's not malicious. Though it _is_ unlike anything I've ever seen, it's harmless."

I didn't even realize I was breathing out a sigh of relief until my shoulders started feeling lighter.

"…Oh," was all I said.

My immediate worry was gone, but…

_Should I still be worried about it then? I mean, no one here knows about ninshu except me and…_

A dark figure rolled through my mind's eye, and I tried not to freeze.

Miyako-bachan's hand on my head thankfully took me out of my thoughts, her fingers actually starting to lightly stroke my hair. "But Tomoko-chan, are you tired after using it? More so than you would be if you played any other instrument?"

"…Huh?" I shook my head instinctively. "No, Miyako-bachan, I feel just fine—"

"—What's this I hear about Tomoko-chan being tired?" _And then_ I only had the chance to blink before another person made their presence known, and judging by the booming voice and 'worried-parent' aura, I knew who it was.

"Papa?" I started before he went on to poke my forehead with a pointer finger.

"What did you get yourself into this time, sweetie?" Papa tilted his head at me, brown bangs framing his angular, smiling face. "I thought since it's the weekend, we wouldn't have any customers at the piano today."

"…Hello to you too, Judai." Miyako-bachan deadpanned.

"Oh, hello Miyako," Papa said offhandedly, poking my cheek now while not turning in her direction.

"…"

"…"

"Are we in the way here?" Kei asked quietly, having taken Hayate to sit in her lap amidst the silence.

"No, Kei-chan," Miyako-bachan said immediately.

" _Heyyyy,_ Judai!" Wataru-jichan interrupted, plopping down next to Papa in a chair of his own while throwing an arm around his shoulders. I had a strange feeling he wanted to join in just because. "What's going on over here?"

"A silent staring contest, Wataru. A silent staring contest," Papa deadpanned, still not looking up while resorting to pulling my cheeks. In the meantime, I was just wondering what happened.

And what did I do to deserve this?

"Uh…Pa —" Another pinch and stretch of my cheek. "—Pwa?"

He just shook his head with a fond, exasperated smile before pulling at my cheek again.

"Papwa, twat kwinda hwurts." I attempted.

And was that _Kei_ I could hear snickering in the background?!

"… _Anata,_ you should probably let our daughter go already." With that said, the sound of another chair being pulled up reached my ears, and I turned only to see Mama's smaller yet firmer hand reach over to smack Papa's away from my cheeks. "Leave the teasing for another day."

I didn't miss how her voice held the slightest twitch of a giggle.

… _What should I say to this?_

"Thank you, Hikari." Miyako-bachan sighed, her arm draping around my shoulders. "Now, back onto the topic —"

"You mean the one Wataru was just blabbing about?" Papa pointed a thumb behind him at the shinobi, and Wataru-jichan immediately put his hands up in the air. "Because right now, that kinda seems ridiculous, Miyako. Heck, Tomoko-chan using chakra seems like a bit much to me."

Mrs. Gekkō raised an eyebrow at him while pulling me close. I found myself blinking. "Says the former war hero?"

Papa wilted, turning away with a pout. "…That's different."

Wataru-jichan laughed.

Papa prodded him with a fist. As expected, Wataru-jichan visibly deflated. "Yeah, yeah, that was uncalled for," the shinobi grumbled.

"…Anyways." Miyako-bachan hummed, squeezing my shoulders a bit tighter. "I do have reason to believe Tomoko-chan isn't as chakra-incapable as we all thought. That previous song said more than enough."

Papa sighed, leaning back in his chair while crossing his arms. "You mean Tomoko-chan possibly using her chakra to reach out to everyone? That sounds likely, but it's hard to believe, Miyako. No offense intended," he smiled grimly. "When Tomoko-chan was growing up, she should've shown signs of her chakra sooner, especially if she could use it to the degree you're saying she is right now."

"But she's _your_ daughter, Judai. The genes for the chakra control _you_ were famous for could've easily gone down to her," she retorted quietly. I was caught glancing between them, Kei (who was giving me a shrug that nonverbally screamed ' _I don't know!_ '), Hayate, Wataru-jichan, and Mama, blinking.

"…Chakra control?" I found myself muttering.

Miyako-bachan sighed. "When it comes to chakra, my read is quite accurate. It is not a problem as long as no one gets hurt, but it is happening."

Papa raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Happening how?"

I glanced between the two again. … _When did I become invisible? And why do I have a bad feeling?_

"To keep it simple?" Mrs. Gekkō squeezed my shoulder. "Imagine your chakra sword control, Judai. Only on a smaller scale and connected to the piano every time Tomoko-chan plays something." Then, Miyako-bachan took on a dry, nonchalant voice. "Specifically, chakra _strings_ , touching the hearts of everyone who is in listening distance."

My mouth dropped as soon as Wataru-jichan and Mama both gaped with "Wha—!?"

"M-Miyako-bachan?!" I squeaked.

Papa nearly fell off his chair.

The only ones who didn't seem to be fazed were Kei and Hayate. Hayate because he was still six, just blinking from his sister's lap, and Kei…well, because it was Kei. She already knew.

"I-I…" I gaped. "My chakra's that…that…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

Miyako-bachan glanced at me before nodding solemnly, squeezing my shoulders again. "It is harmless, Tomoko-chan, so there isn't much to worry about. What is interesting are the effects your chakra has."

Papa stumbled to get back onto his seat, dusting himself off before raising an eyebrow like nothing ever happened. "Effects like what?"

Kei took that chance to speak. "…like she's talking directly to us, Judai-jichan."

I never saw so many eyes dart in one person's direction so quickly. And yet as soon as all the attention was on Kei, she immediately clammed up, turning white. "Uh. It's more like…" The ninja rested her chin on Hayate's head, who grunted in confusion but let her do it nonetheless. "It's like Tomoko-chan's sharing whatever she's feeling the most whenever she plays. Like just now."

Miyako-bachan squeezed me again. "I specifically sensed, ' _Please believe me.'_ "

… _Huh?_

Mama blinked before closing her mouth, putting a hand on her chin in thought. "If it's like that, then that would explain a lot of our regulars feeling happier after Tomoko-chan plays a happy song…"

Wataru-jichan blinked. "H-Hikari-chan?"

"Hm?" Mama looked up, her hand halfway towards touching Papa's knee.

"You're not surprised?" Wataru-jichan blinked again, clearly gaping like a fish. "The way you're talking about it, it's like you're not even fazed…"

"Wataru-kun, I'm the wife of a former war hero." I didn't miss how Mama put her hand on Papa's leg at that moment, making him look up from his lap at her. And then Mama smiled serenely. "Being with _and_ serving ninja means I have to get used to this."

"…Hikari, I love you." Papa said immediately, grasping her hand in his.

"I love you too, dear." Mama said back, beaming.

It would've been a good moment. The hearts surrounding my parents were hard to miss. And judging by the knowing looks Wataru-jichan and Miyako-bachan were sending one another, they knew it too. Heck, even Kei seemed to be aware of the atmosphere, judging by her shrug in my direction.

Hayate? He just grimaced, visibly caught between staying silent and saying something like, "Ew!" I didn't blame him since…adults being lovey-dovey was still something that was weird to me.

Buuuut there was still one problem. I found myself speaking up. "S-So, what now?"

All the attention immediately turned on me.

_Ah._

"…What do you mean by that, Tomoko-chan?" Miyako-bachan said finally, having yet to let go of my shoulders.

"I mean…" I bit my lip for a second before speaking again. "My chakra _seems_ to be harmless, but…what am I supposed to do now? I-I want to keep playing piano after this, but if it causes trouble, then I don't know what to do…"

' _Especially since I have_ _ **no**_ _clue how I'm doing it in the first place,'_ was left unsaid. But from looking around, the adults seemed to have an idea, at least.

Papa glanced at me before hanging his head with a sigh. "Well," he started dryly. "That's definitely something we have to deal with." Then, he scratched his cheek. "And I'm not really sure how I can help you control that—"

"—How about we teach her?" Wataru-jichan interrupted, raising an energetic hand.

Papa and Mama both glanced at him in varying degrees of disbelief.

Kei summed it pretty nicely with a simple, "Huh?"

My response was an equally simple, "Wha?"

The last thing I was expecting was for Papa's eyes to flash a heterochromatic red-orange and green in Wataru-jichan's direction. "Explain, Wataru." he said flatly. "Now."

A chill went up my spine as I looked up. Miyako-bachan had apparently let go of my shoulders to instead— _oh dear god._ She wasn't even looking in my direction, instead glancing at Papa with the same flat-eyed, _death glare_ look while folding her hands in her lap, and I could've sworn the air around the piano got a bit colder, andwhywasmyheartclenchingsomuch—

_Meep._

I immediately jumped off the piano bench and properly hid behind Kei. Who was stuck between glancing at me and covering Hayate's eyes.

A pause.

Hayate squeaked, "Sis, I wanna see!" rather indignantly.

"Um," Wataru-jichan started, glancing at the piano bench that I once occupied with a raised eyebrow. "Miyako-chan, calm." Then he turned to Papa. "Judai, let me explain. Stare-offs are not fun."

The sudden cold disappeared as quickly as it came. From my new position, I could hear Mama exhale quietly.

"…Tomoko-chan, you can come back now." Miyako-bachan said quietly. "And Kei-chan, you can let your little brother see now."

I glanced at Kei again. The ninja met my eyes before shrugging her shoulders hesitantly, her hands landing onto Hayate's shoulders to keep him steady. Then I peeked past Kei's own shoulder, glancing around. Papa and Mama seemed to be relaxed enough, if their not-tense shoulders said anything. Not to mention Papa's eyes returning to the same brown color. Wataru-jichan was grinning, and Miyako-bachan was smiling at me rather hesitantly, and it seemed to be okay…

But before I could stop myself, the words were already leaving my mouth.

"Miyako-bachan, there's not going to be any sword-fights or anything between you and Papa, right?"

Once it was out there, I found myself covering my mouth from the horror.

Another pause.

Papa and Miyako-bachan glanced at each other. Then they looked up at me.

"Absolutely not," and "Yes, possibly," were my replies.

I _really_ needed to learn to shut up if it meant keeping my heart intact. Instead, what left me was a simple, "Uh…"

_To sit or not to sit next to Miyako-bachan? That is a good question…_

Mama narrowed her eyes. "Judai. Miyako-chan."

Miyako-bachan gave Mama a level stare in return. "Hikari."

"—Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyways!" Wataru-jichan continued loudly, caught between a frown and a pout. "Before all _that_ happened, let me explain. If Tomoko-chan's still worried about her chakra, Miyako-chan and I could try teaching her to control it!"

Papa tore his eyes away from the two women still having a stare-off in front of him to blink. "…But Wataru, I thought you were horrible at teaching."

Another pause.

A red hue the color of a tomato climbed up Wataru-jichan's neck, and I found myself watching it in interest as it soon overtook his face. Then, he fumbled, throwing his hands in the air like a pinwheel…or something. "I-I can at least _try,_ Judai! If I mess up, then Miyako-chan can take over for me! It's a better alternative than the Academy, right? That would explain your eyes going all glowy just now!"

"…" Papa raised an eyebrow at him.

Miyako-bachan glanced at Papa, breaking the staring contest with Mama in the process. "…Is that why, Judai? You don't want Tomoko-chan to be a ninja? Is that it?"

Mama herself was glancing between everybody with wide eyes, getting over the staring contest fairly quickly. "Wait, what?" she said.

"…Papa?" I took a step closer towards the piano bench and in turn, Papa, and he didn't look up. If anything, he was scarily silent, not even moving, only hanging his head.

Miyako-bachan glanced at him before looking up at me. Her eyes said enough.

_Do something._

So I did what first came to my mind.

Tackle him in the biggest hug I could muster.

" _Ack_!" And then Papa toppled to the floor with me on top of him, the chair slamming into the ground with a loud BAM.

Was I…that forceful in my hugs?

Nonetheless, the force traveled through us both pretty quickly, although from the looks of it, Papa made it so he took most of the blow. Nonetheless, I still found myself wincing.

"Are you two okay there?!" Mama screeched, her voice rising a few octaves from the emotion alone.

"Tomoko-chan?!" Kei and Wataru-jichan said in unison.

"Uhhh…" Thankfully, my grip on Papa didn't even loosen with the fall, so I was able to tighten the hug and snuggle my face into his neck as a warm rumble ran through him.

A hand landed on top of my head. "…What is it, hime?" Papa said softly.

"I'll be okay, Papa." I made sure to speak honestly, not even letting my train of thought come into the picture as the words just spilled out of my mouth. He had to hear this. "I-I'm not sure how else to put it, but I won't be a ninja, Papa. When I started working with you and Mama, I already knew I didn't want to be a ninja. S-Sure, my chakra is really weird and I don't know why it's acting like this," —A warm chuckle sounded above my head at the words as the same hand started stroking my hair— "But I want to control it, Papa! I don't want to make you and Mama worry anymore! So I'll be okay! You trust Miyako-bachan and Wataru-jichan, right?"

"…Of course I do." The admission was soft and almost faint in the air if not for the close distance. The hand on my head stopped moving, instead pushing me closer in the hug. "Of course I do. More than any other ninja in the world right now." Then his breathing _shook._

Huh?

I loosened my grip. "…Papa?"

Another arm wrapped around my waist as he shifted, sitting up while squeezing me. "But Tomoko-chan…when did you start growing up?"

Eh?

He sighed as he then stood up, carrying me the whole way in his arms, before pulling away to grin at me with exasperated eyes. "Where did you learn things like that? Worrying me…" Papa leaned in to rub my cheek with his, sighing exaggeratedly. "You'll always worry me, hime. There's no doubt about that, being your Dad and all."

"Papa…" I couldn't find myself saying anything else as he then leaned over, sitting me back onto the piano bench next to Miyako-bachan. Once I was fully settled, he kneeled down to my height, absently pulling his fallen chair back up with one hand while touching my knee with the other.

"I'll let you train on your chakra then, Tomoko-chan. Just promise me you won't try using it to fight unless it's absolutely necessary. Leave the fighting to your Dad, Wataru-jichan, Miyako-bachan, and maybe Kei, okay?" His eyes hardened when looking at me, and I didn't miss the fierce determination in the brown. Papa then raised a pinky. "Promise me?"

"I promise, Papa," I said immediately, and shook pinkies.

A pinky promise was a promise. There was no way I was going to break it.

At least, I hope so. Considering how canon could be.

Papa grinned again before squeezing my hand softly. "That's my hime."

"…Well," Miyako-bachan said quietly, "I guess we should start on that training, hm?"

"Just go easy on Tomoko-chan, please?" Mama interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "We'll still need her at the cafe, not to mention her possibly inheriting my civilian…physique."

"Which includes?" Wataru-jichan added.

Mama leveled a calm stare at him. "Possibly emotional sensitivity, motion sickness, and complete lack of care towards all ninja shenanigans?"

A pause followed.

"…Ninja shena…sheni…" Hayate stumbled, looking up at Kei. "Sis, how do you pronounce that?"

" _Shenanigans,_ Haa-chan," Kei shook her head, smiling while still squeezing the boy. "She-na-ni-gans. Try saying that."

"Oooor," Papa interrupted, letting go of my hand to grin at the boy. "You could just say ' _antics,_ ' or ' _weird stuff,_ ' Hayate-kun."

"…Judai," Miyako-bachan said, raising an eyebrow. "I do not know how I feel about you teaching my son how to say ' _weird stuff.'_ "

"Well, it's better than cursing, right?" Papa shrugged.

Wataru-jichan twitched. "…Coming from the guy who swore almost every other bad mission?"

"…Eh," Papa shrugged again while taking his former seat next to Mama. "The world could go without some bad words."

A small part of my mind went, _Hypocrite._ I immediately smacked it hard with my mental Keyblade. There was _no_ insulting Papa in my head.

"…Nonetheless," Miyako-bachan shook her head. "We'll get to addressing Tomoko-chan's chakra as soon as we can. I know a former Hyuga that can help us."

_Hyuga?_

An image of Hinata wearing the Twin Lion Fists went through my head, and I found myself shivering.

"Wait, Miyako-chan," Wataru-jichan interrupted. "Do you mean Yatsu? Since I thought his—"

"Even without his Byakugan, he should be able to do something, Wataru." Miyako-bachan stated calmly, reaching over to touch my shoulders with a hand. Did she notice my shivering? "Muscle memory should be more than enough."

 _Don't tell me_ —

" _No_." Papa interrupted hotly, standing up almost immediately. I tried not to jump while Kei and Hayate both flinched. "Miyako, you can't just do that! Having a former Hyuga use _Gentle Fist_?! _**No!**_ That's one thing I'm _not_ putting Tomoko-chan through!"

I didn't know whether to feel grateful for Papa's words or scared at the possibility.

_Gentle Fist?! With the tenketsu and everything?!_

Another image of Hinata, this time bloodied and comatose went through my head, and I shivered again.

"Judai," Miyako-bachan said calmly, giving him a level stare. "At this point, I cannot think of anything else. Tomoko-chan's chakra may be harmless, but if an enemy felt it like I did and took it as a threat, Tomoko-chan will go through far more pain than you can protect her from. It's our only option."

Mama put a hand on Papa's clenched fist, frowning worriedly before glancing over at Mrs. Gekkō. "How bad will this option be on Tomoko-chan, Miyako? It won't send her to a hospital, right?"

"No, thankfully," Miyako-bachan shook her head while squeezing my shoulders. So she did notice my shivering. "But when tenketsu are blocked, Tomoko-chan may have to see a medic afterwards. Gentle Fist is not painless, even when a Hyuga is considerably gentle with the process. I have seen even experienced ninja fall from a simple poke."

"Uhhhh…" I said intelligently. "So…It's…" My voice took on resignation. "It's going to hurt, isn't it."

"No pain, no gain, Tomoko-chan." Wataru-jichan added solemnly.

Kei gave me a pitying glance.

I just sighed before looking between Papa and Miyako-bachan. "C-Could we go to that, um, Hyuga then, Papa, please?"

His head shot up so fast to where I swore I heard his neck crack. "Tomoko-chan, are you sure?" Papa rushed over to grasp my hands, and I tried not to jump. Thankfully, it came out as only a wince, but that didn't change the fact that Papa looked _scary._ The fact that almost all the color in his face left with the motion didn't help. "It's going to hurt _a lot_ , Tomoko-chan. Are you really sure?"

"I-I am, Papa. Miyako-bachan is right about my chakra. I-If…" I gulped. "If it ends up touching someone bad, then it's going to lead to more trouble. So, please?"

Papa's face took on a bit more of a healthy color as he stared at me. Even when not saying anything, his eyes seemed to say more than enough.

_Are you really sure? I won't be able to protect you._

I tried to stare back, biting my lip.

_I'm not, but there's no other choice. Please._

Then, Papa sighed, his hands moving up to cup my cheeks. He pinched them again for only a few seconds before letting go, smiling grimly. "Okay, Tomoko-chan, let's go." Then, he turned to Miyako-bachan, a scowl on his face. "Just let me go with her, okay?"

"Of course," Miyako-bachan answered. "Wataru can take Kei-chan and Hayate home."

And that was that.

"I want to see though!" Hayate interrupted.

Mama glanced at the boy before giggling. Papa facepalmed.

Orrrr not.

* * *

Inuzuka neé Hyuga Yatsu seemed nice enough. When Miyako-bachan knocked on the door of his apartment, even with the blindfold over his eyes, he knew to let us in.

I just didn't know what to say in response to said blindfold. The last time I saw someone with that kind of accessory, it was a teenage Riku trying to hold Ansem's darkness at bay. And last I checked, it wasn't pretty.

So then, why would a Hyuga—

"Miyako, Judai," The man bowed his head toward them, straight black hair falling past his face. From the looks of it, it went past the black blindfold and touched the beginnings of his waist, even from my height. "It's good seeing you two again."

Miyako-bachan bowed in turn while Papa nodded. "It's good seeing you, Yatsu." she said softly. "We were actually wondering if you could do us a favor."

"A favor?" The blindfolded man took a seat in a nearby chair while tilting his head. "And that would be…"

I tried not to trip as Papa pushed me forward with a grim face. "Checking the chakra of my daughter, Yatsu."

"Daughter?" Yatsu-san, even with the blindfold, tilted his head downwards in my direction, and I found myself flinching. The place where his eyes were supposed to be - I couldn't actually feel a gaze, but it still felt like he was staring at me. "…Oh." He closed his mouth, creating a thin line on his face while doing so. "That daughter?" He paused again. "…Hoshino Tomoko, correct?"

"Um." I said. "Yes? I-It's very nice to meet you, Yatsu-san."

Papa patted my shoulder in approval.

On the other hand, Yatsu-san tilted his head in my direction again. "…then, Tomoko-chan? What do you need?"

I gulped, then took a step forward. Not enough to be in touching distance, but enough for the man to notice me. At least, I hoped. "I-If it's okay, Yatsu-san?" Thankfully, he grunted as a sign of his listening. I continued. "To…well, unlock my chakra."

Yatsu-san straightened himself. Then, he turned to Papa and Miyako-bachan. "Judai, Miyako." he said dryly. "What does she mean by this?"

I didn't know whether or not to be offended at his not asking me or grateful that his blindfold wasn't in my direction anymore.

"Tomoko-chan has… er…" Papa scratched his cheek. "Miyako was able to find that she's been using her chakra unconsciously, Yatsu. Thing is, Tomoko-chan up until now didn't know she was doing it, or, hell," Papa cursed offhandedly, "Even how to unlock it on her own. She did inherit a lot more of Hikari than me, so…"

"—So based on that, we were hoping you could do something, Yatsu." Miyako-bachan added gently. "Gentle Fist is still an option, no?"

The blindfolded man seemed affronted more than anything. "…It is, but on a little girl? No offense intended, but is it wise? Even a small poke hurts."

"We know," Papa said quietly. "We know, but leaving her chakra like this might be more trouble than we're asking for right now, Yatsu. So can you do it?"

The former Hyuga tilted his head again before sighing. "…Of course I can do it. Alright then." He proceeded to turn in my direction again and I tried not to flinch. "Tomoko-chan, can you come over here?"

I gulped before glancing at Miyako-bachan. She smiled almost solemnly in return, motioning with her shoulder towards the empty chair on Yatsu-san's left.

_Well, we're here. Might as well._

I breathed deeply before jumping up on the chair and steadying myself. Yatsu-san didn't do anything to indicate his noticing my presence aside from a soft grunt, and then his right hand reached out. Even with the blindfold, his hand successfully touched my head, and the gentle feeling alerted me almost instantly.

This man was blind.

_What happened?_

"Turn towards me, please," Yatsu-san continued in the same quiet voice, interrupting my train of thought.

Another gulp, and then I did as he asked. It wasn't really the best time to voice my thought anyways. The same hand moved away from my head to then blindly touch my left elbow. "…Alright," the man muttered quietly, folding his fingers. I didn't miss how his pointer and middle fingers were left extended on the same hand.

 _Oh no_ —

Papa seemed to notice the same thing, taking a step closer. "Yatsu, wait - "

"I'm sorry, but this will hurt," was all I heard before Yatsu-san properly jabbed those two fingers into the center of my forearm.

And _OWWWWWWWW!_

Pain surged through my entire body almost immediately despite it being a simple jab, and I nearly screamed if not for my other hand going up to cover my mouth. The resulting numbness felt like I had just gotten _stabbed_ by a scalpel _without_ anesthetic, and the tears naturally started building up in my eyes.

In the end, what escaped was a simple, muffled, "Ow…."

And then a whimper left me.

Which nearly made Papa's eyes bulge out of his head. " _Yatsu!_ " If not for the remnants of pain traveling from my forearm to nearly every nerve in my body, I would've flinched at the volume of _panic_ traveling through Papa's voice alone. "Goddammit, Yatsu!" He immediately took the chair on my right, rubbing my other arm that wasn't tingling while glaring at the Hyuga. "I know Gentle Fist hurts, but really?!"

"Judai," Miyako-bachan started sternly.

On the other hand, Yatsu-san simply frowned, taking his hand away from my arm almost gingerly, while tilting his head. "You wanted me to block tenketsu selectively to unlock her chakra. This is the only way it works, Judai."

Papa immediately cursed under his breath. Because of how quiet it was, and perhaps the remnants of pain running through me, I couldn't hear what it exactly was. "…Ugh, I can't argue with you on that." Then, Papa growled.

_Oh dear._

Even with the pain, I tried to hold back the urge to cry at the pain and instead look up at Papa with a shaky smile. "N-No, Papa, d-don't start…"

Immediately, all the adults in the room turned to me. Papa's grip on my not-tingly arm loosened. "Tomoko-chan?"

"I-It…" I took in a shaky breath. "I-It hurts, Papa, but…"

Miyako-bachan kneeled in front of me with worried eyes. "But what, Tomoko-chan?"

I breathed in shakily. "But…but I feel _something._ For once, something…different."

Aside from the numbness. Aside from the pain.

When Yatsu-san did what he did, it felt like a river aside from my own blood started washing through my body.

It was cold, warm, and almost powerful all at once.

"Are you sure you feel something, sweetie?" Papa's voice took a gentler tone as he continued to rub my not-tingly forearm. "Gentle Fist _does_ hurt."

"…I did try to ease back on the force," Yatsu-san added quietly.

I forced myself to nod, doing my best to push back the pain even with the sniffles escaping me now. Unfortunately, it wasn't really working. I guess that's Gentle Fist for you. Now I needed to write a personal reminder to myself (and Kei) to _never_ get on a Hyuga's bad side. "Y-Yeah, Papa, I do. M-My arm's numb, but…it feels different. The _good_ kind of different. L-Like…like something's flowing through me…"

And then I was silly enough to glance over and try wiggling the offending left forearm.

Another _OW_ **.**

The first tears started leaking out of my eyes. "… _Ugh,"_ was all I could muster.

Yatsu-san seemed apologetic as the same hand from before rested on the tingling forearm with gentle care. It should've hurt with how reactive my nerves were being, but all that registered was a soft touch akin to a blanket. "That sounds about right. You should still stop in with a medic, Tomoko-chan. Gentle Fist blocks do hurt."

Papa sighed again, rubbing my other arm. "Might as well." The last thing I was expecting was for him to turn around, letting me see only his back before reaching for me with his hands. "Can you handle a piggyback, hime? We'll be going over to the hospital now."

"… _uuu."_ I tried not to wail at the next twinge of pain to instead nod, reaching over to wrap my arms around his neck. It felt painful to look back, but I did so anyways. "T-Thank you…Y-Yatsu-san…"

Miyako-bachan bowed in the blind man's direction too. "Indeed, Yatsu. Thank you."

The blind man smiled before motioning with his hand. "Of course. Now go. Get that treated."

Papa didn't need another word. We were already out of the door, with me hanging onto him for dear life, by the time Yatsu finished.

"… _Goddamn Gentle Fist_ , sometimes." Papa muttered, leaping onto the nearest rooftop. "Hang on, hime."

"Mm."

Now I just needed to focus on blocking out the pain in my arms _and_ the flipping of my stomach. Hopefully, I would last.

* * *

The last thing Yamaguchi Akihito expected in his job was for two former, famous ninja to jump into his office, a little girl hanging on the man's back.

Yamaguchi tried not to deadpan, considering who the two were. "Judai, Miyako." Nonetheless, the effort wasn't worth it. He could see the girl breathe erratically from the man's back, even shivering, and irritation flooded him in waves. "…What happened."

The former Yuki Judai, now Hoshino Judai blinked, climbing through the window with a sigh. "Gentle Fist blocks in an attempt to unlock chakra." The man then deposited the girl on the nearest bed, kneeling in front of her worriedly. "As you can see, it was quite painful."

The little girl whimpered, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

"Tomoko-chan," Yamaguchi blinked at the sight of the former ninja softening, reaching out towards the girl with warm arms. "Tomoko-chan," Judai started to coo softly. "It's okay, you're okay. _Shh, shh._ It's over. We're going to get you checked out now, okay?"

"P-Papa…" The girl whimpered, wiping her eyes shakily.

Yamaguchi blinked again. _Judai had a daughter?_

Miyako sighed. "It's a long story, Yamaguchi-sensei. But is there anything you can do?"

Judai looked up from the silent girl with wide eyes at him.

Yamaguchi sighed before rolling up his sleeves, stabbing his cigarette stub in the nearby ashtray.

"There is something, and of course I can do it."

Gentle Fist blocks were treatable.

Chakra problems? Another day.

Ugh. Crying girls weren't really his thing.

* * *

The following Monday, Gekkō Keisuke made sure to tread quietly when entering Nagareboshi Cafe again. Despite it being a cold afternoon, the absence of any piano music was clearly noticeable in the environment when pushing the doors open.

A few ninja were frequenting the tables around the stage, but aside from that, Hoshino Tomoko was nowhere to be found near the piano.

Kei blinked. If Tomoko wasn't at the piano, then where—

"Kei-chan?"

Of course. Kei turned to see the civilian blink at her in her usual black-red kimono dress, an apron tied around her waist. Tomoko seemed to be the same as always, if not for her chakra being a little less active than usual.

"Tomoko-chan," she breathed.

"Hi," the civilian replied simply, smiling. "Sorry about not giving you an immediate update from Saturday. Want to go talk about it?"

Kei tilted her head. "…Do you want to? Because before I left, it sounded like you went to a Hyuga."

The sensor didn't miss Tomoko's wince. "Uh, yeah…" she then motioned towards the back. "How about we go to my room? Then I'll explain."

"Alright." The resulting walk back into the Hoshino Family home was quick and silent, almost fitting for the cold winter the village was seeing. Nonetheless, once Kei walked into the familiar room, she made sure to slap another privacy seal on the door before closing it behind her.

Tomoko set out the cushions again before leaning back on one with a sigh. "…Well, I think my chakra's okay now."

Kei glanced the civilian over. The chakra itself didn't seem different, only more pronounced and open, so… "How so, Tomoko? And what did you end up doing?"

The civilian grimaced, rubbing her left arm absently. "…Got my tenketsu in my arm sealed by the Hyuga you mentioned. Even if it wasn't meant to hurt, it still…well, _hurt._ "

"Ouch," Kei said sympathetically.

"…Yeah, ouch." The civilian echoed.

"You okay, though?" Kei continued, tilting her head.

Tomoko smiled again, albeit a bit strained. "Yeah. If anything, it feels…different. Like something woke up and started running through me."

"…Well, that's one problem out of the way," Kei said, shrugging. "So. What's next on the list?"

To the ninja's surprise, Tomoko's smile turned a bit more confident. " _Saving the White Fang._ Because I think I know what I'm going to do."

Kei tried not to gape. "Tomoko, what are you planning?"

The civilian stretched her left arm. "Do what my chakra does best."

A breath.

" _Reach out to his heart with my music."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Not much to say except an apology. This chapter took FAR too long to write, and I have nothing to blame except myself and the finals season coming around. Nonetheless, next stop is getting to Kakashi and Sakumo again, so we'll see how it goes!
> 
> Once again, a warm thanks to Lang and Beta for supporting this project!
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to work on Chapter 9!


	9. Move Onward, Not There Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is taken directly from Chapter 13 of Civilian Pianist, specifically being Jeff and Casey Lee Williams's Let's Just Live from RWBY. Not much else to say. In this case, unlike Chapter 13 of CP, I'm actually going to point you to the original, full song for the theme of this specific chapter since it's out on iTunes and YouTube now, so please check it out!
> 
> And yes. The chapter title comes directly from the lyrics of Let's Just Live. Whoever can figure out the easter egg in said lyric gets a good thumbs up from me. Because this specific egg is different.
> 
> For the song that Judai plays in the beginning, please go to the lovely Cello Song done by the Piano Guys. Because it is certainly something I see Tomoko's dad playing. :D At the same time, Tomoko does also play Hollow Riku's piano cover of Kingdom Dance from Disney's Tangled.
> 
> On the other hand, for the songs played specifically in this chapter during the climax, I'll refer you to:
> 
> \- Kyle Landry and Josh Chiu's collaboration piece on Kingdom Hearts' Passion (just imagine a cello playing alongside them).
> 
> \- The Videri String Quartet's covers of Red Like Roses, Mirror Mirror, From Shadows, and I Burn from RWBY in that order.
> 
> \- SheNoob087's piano/violin tutorials of Red Like Roses, Mirror Mirror, From Shadows, and I Burn from RWBY in that order. (play in tandem with the Videri String Quartet for full effect)
> 
> *And finally, Keyboard Konan's cover of the short version of Let's Just Live from RWBY. For a band version, there's Jenny's vocal cover of the short version of the same song, with the instrumental used in said cover done by Subaru—Symphonic Bush.
> 
> The lyrics of Let's Just Live are also used in this story, so I'm just saying this right now—any songs mentioned from RWBY or any other media belong to their specific owners (in this case, to John Williams and his wonderful daughter Casey). Please go and support the original artists!
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 9: Move Onward, Not There Yet_

The last thing Hatake Sakumo was expecting for his first visit to the famous Nagareboshi Cafe was a small freak-out.

He didn't have any expectations, no. If anything, judging by the minute sprinkling of praise about the cafe from his son amidst all his complaints about other people, it seemed to be a nice enough place. The atmosphere was welcoming too.

So why did the pianist at the center stage give him one look before slamming her head into the piano keys?

If not for his ninja training, Sakumo could've jumped because the resulting noise from the large instrument was _ear-grating._

"…That wasn't what I was expecting," Kakashi said dryly from his left. "Tomoko's not…that panicky, usually."

"I bet," he answered in the same dry tone, glancing back at the center stage only to wince again. The same girl had just slammed her head into those same black-and-white piano keys for the _second_ time that day, much to the visible detriment of the… boy or girl sitting next to her? Sakumo wasn't sure. The customer did resemble two people he once teamed up with…

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Sakumo couldn't think on it that much because the pianist did it again. And again. And _again._ Slamming her head into the piano keys, making the same discordant jingle ring through the cafe. The maybe-boy did stick a hand out so that Tomoko would land on that instead of the piano for the sake of not making that bad noise anymore, but the damage was done.

Sakumo didn't know what to say.

"…Okay, so it must be a bad day." Kakashi deadpanned for him.

"Tomoko-chan? Are you okay?" Hikari-san called out from the front.

The girl simply raised a hand in a circle sign before letting it flop against her side, sighing.

"…Should we leave?" said Sakumo.

"Give it a minute," Kakashi replied.

The maybe-boy then reached over to pinch the girl's arm through her kimono sleeve. Then going on to poke the girl repeatedly. If not for the privacy seal, Sakumo was tempted to listen in. The girl did raise her head in the maybe-boy's direction, just to sigh softly again.

 _Urk._ The White Fang actually felt grateful for the seal now, because he could feel the girl's…Tomoko's exhaustion from here? Sakumo blinked.

If he couldn't hear the kids' conversation, then how did he know she was exhausted? Her face said enough, but…

Then the silence was purged as the maybe-boy jumped off his seat to offer his hand towards the girl. Sakumo could make out something like, "C'mon, Tomoko-chan," before the pianist smiled and nodded.

The two then ran over to the back, and the resulting yell was pretty easy to make out this time.

"Judai-jichan! I'm going to kidnap Tomoko-chan for a bit, okay?"

"…wait, _what_?" was the pianist's accompanying squeak. "K-Kei?!"

Huh. So Tomoko's friend's name was Kei.

Kakashi's eyes could've bulged out from his face. " _What._ " he said flatly.

A fluffy brown head popped out past the doors leading to the kitchen, and Sakumo blinked just as the new person spoke. "Where to, Kei-kun?"

"My house!" the child continued, grinning. "Then we'll be heading out to get dango! So can I?"

The brunette blinked, wiping his hands on a towel before grinning. "Okay, kids. Just a minute."

_Why does he sound so familiar…?_

And the next thing Sakumo knew, Kei was pulling Tomoko out of the cafe after the brunette exchanged a few words, running at such a pace to where he only had a mere moment to glimpse the civilian girl waving in…his direction? Nonetheless, she was smiling sheepishly, blue eyes screaming, " _Sorry about this!_ " before she was pulled out by Kei.

Once those large red doors closed on the duo, Sakumo turned only to see Kakashi scowl. "…Really?" he muttered, crossing his arms. "Just when we were about to go up for a request, someone else steals her? Really?"

"Mah mah, Kakashi," Sakumo laughed it off sheepishly. "It looked like she needed a break. And we can wait for her to come back."

"The question is _when_ , Dad," Kakashi answered hotly, defiantly turning his head in the other direction. " _Kidnap_ was already telling enough as is…"

Sakumo just laughed nervously.

Only for the brunette to look up and notice them, brown eyes widening. "…Wait, Sakumo?"

The White Fang blinked. This man knew his name, but…where had they met before? "Um…excuse me?" Sakumo felt like he should've remembered this person if they knew his name. The face was certainly familiar, but the green and red-trimmed work kimono wasn't ringing any bells.

"You're Sakumo, right? Hatake Sakumo?" the man grinned, walking over to incline his head at him.

He nodded, at least a bit carelessly. How were you supposed to respond to something like that?

"I'm Yuki Judai!" A pause followed as he blinked. "…Well, a former Yuki, anyways — I'm a Hoshino now." The man bowed his head, still grinning. "I believe we fought in the previous war together? You were my captain?"

The realization hit him as soon as Judai looked up with a grin and glowing red-orange and green eyes.

"…That Yuki Judai? The _Unscathed Hero_ Judai?" Sakumo found himself grinning back. "The guy who looked nothing like a hero and more like a mushroom with that hair?"

"… _Oi_ ," Judai responded dryly, grin dropping for a mere second. "Coming from the guy who I could've swore was _30_ instead of almost 20 when we first met." Even with the teasing, Sakumo couldn't miss the warmth in the smile that returned to Judai's face, eyes fading back to glittering brown. "Still, it's good to see you again, Sakumo."

"It's good to see you," Sakumo said cooly, offering a hand. Judai glanced at it before taking it, shaking it firmly. "Never thought you would have settled down."

"Same for you, Captain," Judai echoed, shrugging. "Things happen, I guess."

"They do," he agreed.

"…Dad? You know Judai-san?" Kakashi interrupted, a note of surprise in the normally deadpan voice.

"Yeah, I do." Sakumo found himself grinning a bit brighter. Judging by Judai's grin in return, he felt the same. "We've been old friends."

"…Huh," Kakashi said dryly, a tinge of awe in his voice.

Judai took only one glance at the boy before chuckling. "Let me guess, you wanted a song from Tomoko-chan?"

Kakashi looked away defiantly, crossing his arms again. His silence was tense, but telling nonetheless. Judai was right on the mark. Sakumo didn't know whether to say something or to stay quiet himself.

Thankfully, Judai broke the quiet with another warm chuckle. "Well, even though Tomoko-chan isn't here, how about I play you guys something? It's on me."

Sakumo blinked, looking up from his son with wide eyes. " _You_ , Judai?" he said in surprise. "No offense, but I don't remember you being able to play anything…"

" _Oi_ , just because you haven't seen me in a while doesn't mean I've been sitting around," Judai retorted back, placing a hand on his hip. Then, with the same grin on his face, he pulled out what appeared to be a cello bow, twirling it absently. "Even if I'm not a pianist like my daughter, I can play some good cello if you don't mind that."

Sakumo glanced down at Kakashi. "Are you okay with that?"

Kakashi blinked, having turned back to look up at him, before nodding mutely.

"Well, that's that," Sakumo replied in Judai's direction, grinning back. "Surprise us, please?"

Judai's grin could've easily split his face from how wide it was on his cheeks. "Of course!"

And that was the start of everything.

* * *

The next time Hatake Sakumo found himself at Nagareboshi Cafe, it was a few days later, just after a check-in with the Hokage. The winter for once wasn't as harsh as it could be in Konoha, with cold winds being few and far inbetween. Heck, the only indicator that it was winter was the light fall of snow covering the road leading up to the cafe.

Sakumo was honestly hoping that Kakashi remembered to bundle up when heading out with Minato again earlier this morning. Even with his shuriken-patterned scarf, the boy could be reckless at times.

When he opened those large red doors, warm air rushed past him as the same quiet cafe interiors greeted him. Customers dotted the many tables and stands in the building, glancing up at who had just entered before going back to whatever they were doing. With practiced ease, Sakumo walked through the cafe, nodding at some of the hired helpers while passing, before reaching the bar.

As expected, the same mushroom-head was monitoring the bar with a neutral face.

"Hey, Judai," Sakumo started, taking a seat.

At the sound of his name, Judai blinked before looking up, and Sakumo didn't miss the glint of recognition shine in those brown orbs before the retired nin grinned. "Hey, Sakumo! Good to see you here again!" While saying the greeting, Judai shook a bottle of cider energetically in his direction. "So what can I get you?"

"What's recommended?" Sakumo found himself grinning back, absently tapping the counter with his fingers. Even when it had been years, Judai's smile was contagious.

"Hmm." Judai hummed, putting the bottle of cider down while glancing around him. "Since it's winter, there's warm apple cider that I'm holding here," — he motioned to the same bottle with exaggerated flourish — "Green teas like matcha, genmaicha, ryokucha, aojiru, and the traditional brew…" Sakumo didn't miss how Judai trailed off to glance at the cabinets behind him. "Then there's melon soda, ramune soda, um…let me think—"

"Judai, there's no need to list off the menu," Sakumo deadpanned. "Just…just get me a matcha tea then, please?"

The retired nin blinked before scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry. That'll be up in just a bit." And then Sakumo watched as his friend sped into the kitchen a la a squirrel.

…Yeah, a squirrel may have been a fine image to compare his old friend to with that brown mop of hair. Even after a decade of not seeing him, Judai hadn't changed.

And then the sound of piano started reaching his ears.

Sakumo tried not to jump as an unfamiliar tune from the same piano started drifting in the air, and he tried not to raise any mental hackles as he turned in the direction of the sound.

"…Whoa…"

That same pianist girl, sitting alone on the stage this time, was playing the tune, hands almost _dancing_ across the keys. Even if the song wasn't one he recognized, it sounded beautiful nonetheless, making the atmosphere seem much warmer and brighter than it was before. And judging by the soft smiles on the faces of the various ninja and civilian clientele alike around the stage, they felt the same.

The music was almost welcoming.

But how was she able to—

"I see you finally discovered Tomoko-chan's talent, hm?" Sakumo found himself flinching before finding a steamy cup of matcha tea near his right hand, and he looked up to see Judai's grin. "That's my girl right there, playing that tune."

The White Fang grabbed the cup to take a sip in order to hide his surprise. "D-Did you teach her that yourself, Judai?"

To Sakumo's surprise, Judai laughed. "Me? No, actually. I didn't do anything."

The answer baffled him. "But then…Judai, how…" Sakumo pointed at the girl again, glancing between her and her father with wide eyes. "How is she able to _do all that?_ All…all…"

"All that music without me lifting a finger?" Judai laughed again, and this time, Sakumo knew that it wasn't fully a good one. "I don't know. I have _no freakin' clue_ , man. At all." Another laugh, and Sakumo found his words falling short. "It feels like there's something she's not telling me, that girl. But at the same time, it doesn't feel like she's lied about 'teaching herself' either." A loud chorus sounded, and Sakumo turned again to see the girl move almost sensually, never once opening her eyes while allowing her hands to fly over the keyboard. "You know? When she started playing that piano, she was only _three_."

Sakumo was sure his heart had stopped, even with the music still playing. "But that's…that's… how…" He wasn't sure of how to continue. Such a feat, for a _civilian-borne_ child? It seemed—

"I don't know, Sakumo." Judai sighed, glancing in the same direction with a shrug. "It should've been something impossible. But she's doing it, with that smile on her face. And she's happy there, so how can I stop her? Before I knew it, I was offering her a job as the cafe's pianist, and there she is." Judai laughed again, the sound coming out a bit brighter. "Tomoko-chan's almost right at home in there, in her own world, at that stage."

"…I see," was all Sakumo could force out as the song finished. A loud, solemn applause sounded afterwards, and the girl finally opened her eyes to glance around, turn red, and then stand up from her bench to curtsey. The bright red lace of her kimono dress seemed to accentuate the same redness on Tomoko's face even more. Sakumo just joined in with a slow clap while Judai grinned and waved in the girl's direction. Tomoko looked up at the man before allowing her face to return to a lighter pink hue, a smile on her cheeks as she waved back.

"I just hope nothing bad comes out of this," Judai mumbled, glancing to the side while lowering his arms. "Her chakra was apparently acting up while she played the piano, but since seeing a Hyuga, it's simmered down. I just hope she stays like that. Heck, for things in general here to stay like that with her. Happy and all."

Sakumo glanced down at his tea before taking another sip. "…Yeah, I know."

They knew enough of the world to not say anymore.

Judai just scratched the back of his head. "…Thanks for hearing me out, Sakumo. Really."

Sakumo quickly downed his tea with a smile. "No problem. Being a parent is tough."

"…Yeah, it is," Judai agreed. Then, the original happy grin returned to the man's face, and he pointed towards the stage. "Anyways, how about you go up there and request something, man? Tomoko-chan is free."

Sakumo blinked while putting down his cup. "Wait, really?" was all he said before glancing behind him, and sure enough, the pianist was still alone on the stage, now sipping on a water bottle. Nearby, the ninja could catch the silhouette of the girl's mother with a small plate of apples in one hand, smiling happily.

_Snack break. Huh._

Judai grinned again. "Hey, you missed out on Tomoko-chan's performance last time, right? So go up there. She should be done with her food soon. Just remember: first come, first serve." And for a finishing touch Sakumo was sure he didn't need, the retired nin winked.

_Ooookay._

The White Fang sighed, left some change as thanks for the tea, and then stood up.

There was one song he had in mind.

The memory of _her_ went through his head at the thought of it.

" _Sakumo!"_

Before he knew it, Sakumo was taking a seat next to the piano bench, looking at the pianist with a smile.

_I wish you were still with me to see this._

"…Tomoko-chan, right?" Sakumo started gently.

The pianist blinked, swallowing her last apple slice before nodding. "U-Um…yes? You are…"

"Hatake Sakumo. I believe you know my son? Kakashi?" the White Fang tilted his head at her. "I was hoping if you could play a song for me."

"O-Oh, um…sure?" Sakumo didn't miss how Tomoko's voice rose an octave while staring at him. "But um…Hatake-san, what kind of song would you like?"

"A bright one, one that compels anyone and everyone to dance," he said, leaning back in his chair. Inwardly, he was wondering if he did something wrong, since the pianist was becoming more nervous by the second. "Is that alright?"

And then Tomoko opened her mouth. "O-Of course it is!" Many customers turned to look in their general direction at the volume of her voice alone, and the pianist flushed at all the attention. "I-I mean…uh, I'll do it! J-Just a second!"

"…There's no need to be nervous, Tomoko-chan?" Sakumo tried.

The girl flushed another, darker shade of red before turning back to the piano keys.

All that was left was hearing the results.

They didn't disappoint.

Sakumo didn't bother answering Kakashi's questioning stare when he came home with a skip in his step.

A dance was always fun to do.

* * *

The last thing Gekkō Keisuke was expecting to hear, or see, when it came to ' _rescuing the White Fang_ ' was a hand gesture and what sounded like an idea out of a storybook.

In the end, when Tomoko said the faithful words of, " _Reach out to his heart with my music,_ " Kei blinked, inclined her head, and answered:

"Huh?"

The civilian in front of her blinked. "…Um, did I say something wrong?"

"…No," Kei said flatly, leaning back on her cushion with a sigh. "I'm just…surprised? Shocked? All of that?"

"Uhhhh…" Tomoko responded, lowering her hand.

"Then again, if it worked in _Macross_ …" Kei muttered, putting a hand on her chin. "It could work…"

"Ummmm…" the civilian started turning an embarrassed pink while inclining her head. "What's _Macross_ , Kei?"

The ninja blinked while glancing over at her. "Mecha anime where the universe is saved through singing, I think."

A pause followed.

Tomoko turned a bit redder as she shook her head. "W-Well, I'm not trying to _save the universe,_ and I don't have a mech, Kei," and then a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head as she paused. "Though if mechs existed in the Narutoverse, how many missiles would it take to blow up the Ten Tails statue and Madara…?"

Tomoko then started to giggle to herself.

Kei sweatdropped. "But anyways," she interrupted before the giggling turned into something creepy, "It is about the power of song, right?"

The civilian stopped laughing only to flush a light pink. "Um. Well, yeah."

"What songs do you have in mind?" Kei sat forward, eyes intent. "Even with your ninshu, we're gonna need something special to get this thing moving. And people to help get Sakumo where we need him."

Tomoko lurched backwards, brows furrowed with worry and surprise. "Um, well, I have six specific songs in mind. And Sakumo-san has actually started hanging out with Papa more since his initial visit, and…" the girl gulped. "I'm putting my bets on Papa, Mama, and Kakashi."

Kei's mouth took on a grim line as she blinked owlishly. "…Really, Tomoko? Betting on…your parents _and_ Kakashi? Isn't Kakashi at this time just a _jackass?_ "

The civilian flushed a brighter pink. "Not always! H-He's kinda distant, but when he comes by, he is nice when asking for a song," she then fiddled with her fingers while glancing to the side. "And to me, he's a friend. I'm hoping my ninshu has helped him open up a lot more so that when it happens, he can bring Sakumo-san to the cafe when the time is right."

"…Tomoko, that seems to be a bit far-fetched, even for you," Kei deadpanned. "And what songs do you really have in mind? Will they work?"

"I think so…no," the girl shook her head fiercely this time. "I _know_ so."

"…How?" Kei said dryly.

Tomoko smiled a bit sheepishly when looking up. "Because the songs I have in mind are different from the usual classical ones. How about I give you a preview of them? That way, you can monitor my chakra to see if it's doing what it's supposed to be doing, and just the emotional impact in general."

Kei sighed before grinning. "Play away."

Tomoko smiled back, a bit brighter this time, before getting up from her seat and offering her hand to the ninja. Kei took it without hesitation.

* * *

Getting to the piano wasn't that difficult. All it took was a run through the hallways and down the stairs to get to the cafe, and the only people present there were a few stragglers still finishing their food, and Tomoko's parents, cleaning up.

Judai and Hikari were the only ones that looked up in their direction before shrugging and returning to their clean-up.

Tomoko just scratched her cheek sheepishly before running over to the piano, letting go of Kei's hand for the ninja to follow at her own pace. With a breath, the civilian sat herself down on the piano bench, Kei following suit via pulling up her own chair.

"Tomoko-chan?" Hikari spoke up quietly, standing near the stage now as she wiped a dish with a towel. "What are you doing? It's almost closing time."

"P-Practicing the piano, Mama," Tomoko answered, smiling sheepishly. "I know I played it for most of today, but there were some songs I wanted to try out while Kei's still here with me," — and the named ninja took the time to wave in Hikari's direction — "So, is that okay? I'll try to not be loud."

Hikari blinked before chuckling softly. "Being loud isn't an issue at all, dear. Go ahead," the civilian woman smiled. "Play as much as you want. I don't think your father and I, or any of the remaining customers here mind."

And as if to reaffirm the woman's words, the few customers still in the cafe looked up and nodded.

Tomoko beamed, glanced at Kei with the same smile, and then turned towards the piano keys.

She breathed softly.

"First, _Sanctuary_."

The chords came out almost naturally.

" _Red Like Roses_."

Tomoko didn't have to think on it. Her hands moved on their own, bringing forth her memories of those works, those days.

" _Mirror, Mirror._ "

They were old friends she had yet to reach, but they were still open to her.

" _From Shadows."_

All that Tomoko could hear was the music and a bit of Kei's soft breathing. Aside from that, the stage was all her place. Her time to shine.

" _I Burn._ "

There was one last song left. One that Tomoko never heard the full version to back as Vy, but it was still important nonetheless, even if it was only a minute in length from memory.

" _Let's Just Live._ "

Tomoko didn't have the courage to fully sing the lyrics yet. It was still somewhat mind-boggling to try singing _while_ playing piano, so she decided to just let the music speak for now.

By the time she finished the last note, she looked up to see Kei's soft smile.

"You win a million nostalgia points," the ninja finished quietly.

"…Do you think it'll work?" Tomoko responded with the same amount of quiet.

Kei shrugged, brows knitted in a frown. "Not sure," she said flatly, clenching her fists. "But it's the best we have."

The civilian exhaled shakily.

Then Kei grinned. "Let's do it!"

A breath. Tomoko smiled toothily back. "Got it!"

Now it was just getting the adults together.

* * *

Gekkō Wataru was, to put it simply, _not_ looking forward to his upcoming mission.

The Hokage called for him and a few other shinobi to take on rotations at some of the border stations near the Land of Fire, and considering the timing, he _really_ didn't want to leave.

"…You have to head out soon, Dad?" Hayate was looking up at him with those big doe-brown eyes of his, and Wataru had to hold back a sigh.

This was one reason why.

"Yeah, I do. Another mission calls." To hide his frustration, he bit into his rice with more vigor. "It should only be three weeks, but I should be home before you know it."

Kei let out a huff through her nose while slurping some miso soup. "Will you be okay out there, Dad?"

"Don't worry, Kei-chan, your Dad's got this," and for extra emphasis, Wataru beat a fist against his chest with a proud grin. "It's just…" Wataru sighed dramatically. "It's just dealing with the fact that I can't see you kids for three weeks!"

And then he swept his kids up into a tight hug.

" _Ahhhh_ , Daddy!" Hayate squealed. "Your stubble is itchy!"

Kei was giggling.

Nearby, Miyako smiled.

Wataru _really_ didn't want to leave now.

Nonetheless, once breakfast was finished and cleaned up, he found himself packing anyways, saddling himself with the essentials. Sleeping bag, kunai and shuriken, ninja wire, explosives, fuinjutsu paper and ink, rations and the occasional military rations pill, and some bandages. Wataru tried not to roll his eyes at the thought of heading out, and put his hand on the doorknob only for the soft sound of slippers to greet his ears.

"…Heading out already?" Miyako said softly.

Wataru turned to look at her, and nodded. "Can't be too late. Border rotation and all."

Miyako nodded in return before hanging her head. A soft pause followed, and Wataru waited for her to speak. The last thing he was expecting was for her to pull on his free hand so that he stumbled, her lips landing on his cheek.

"Be safe out there, Wataru," was the whisper in his ear.

He tried not to flush red from the gesture and nodded dully, grinning. "O-Of course I will! I'll be back before you know it!" Wataru gave a thumbs-up with his other hand, taking note of Miyako's warm smile in return. Before he could stop himself, the words were already leaving his lips. "I love you, Miyako."

It didn't feel right to leave without saying that.

The woman blinked, flushed a light pink, then nodded. "I love you too, Wataru. I'll see you soon."

He nodded back, gave her one last smile, then walked out the door.

Not knowing that at the same time, the White Fang was doing the same, leading a mission that would change everything.

* * *

Two weeks later, Hiroto Honda found himself sighing. Another day, working out on the borders, scouting…but for what?

It didn't seem like war was going to happen again anytime soon. But even he couldn't fault the whispers.

" _Kumogakure seems to be lurking around in the dark lately."_

" _Yeah, something about fighting Iwa?"_

" _Yeah, I heard something like that too!"_

" _Is that why Hokage-sama sent us out here?"_

" _Ugh, I really don't want a repeat of the Second War! We lost the Second Hokage back then already!"_

Honda sighed mid-leap from a tree. At least his girlfriend, Shizuka, was at home. This gossip would not be good for her heart.

Nearby, his teammate, Gekkō Wataru, was setting up traps while jumping with him, blinking. "Everything okay, man?"

"Just thinking, don't worry about it," Honda said, waving it off with a hand. "Just focus on setting those traps. Protecting the borders are important and all."

"Got it!" Wataru grinned, giving a thumbs-up.

And then Honda saw the incoming tree.

" _Uhhhhhhhh_ , dude?!" he said quickly.

Wataru was apparently in the middle of setting up an… _why a_ _ **spider web**_ _?_ "What, man?"

"You should probably watch where you're—"

SLAM.

Honda winced. "…Too late, huh."

" _Arrrrgh!_ " was the response. Honda stopped his jump to land on a nearby branch, looking down at the…well, mess that was the previous 'web' of wire and his teammate.

"…You okay there, Wataru?" Honda tentatively asked.

"…Not really, no." Wataru winced while getting up from the mess that was his own wire, and sighed. "And this is why I'm better at minefields— _Ow._ "

Okay, that last _Ow_ was not a good sign. Honda immediately jumped down to his teammate's position, glanced him over, and shook his head. Then, he got on one knee, looking at Wataru a bit more closely. "…Broken leg, man. I hate to break it to you, but it looks like you're out of commission for this operation at this point."

"Wait, _what_?" Honda wasn't really sure what his teammate was feeling, but judging by the glint in Wataru's eyes, he didn't want to know. "Seriously?!"

"... Dude, your leg looks like it probably shouldn't be bent that way," — and for extra emphasis, Honda poked the limb in question, only to watch Wataru's eyes widen as he covered his mouth to hold back a pained wince — "And judging by your reaction, you need your wife and family." Honda sighed and shook his head with a small smile. "I'm guessing Captain Ushio put you on this instead of your specialty?"

"…Yep…" Wataru croaked out.

Honda just hefted the older man so that he was instead leaning on his shoulder, an arm thrown around his neck. "C'mon. I'll finish the trap for you later. Let's get you back so that leg can be treated and you can go home early."

The Captain would probably have his head. Wataru's smile was worth it though.

If only Honda knew that as soon as he returned to that forest an hour later, all he saw was a sword blade coming at him before everything went black.

Back in Konoha, Kawai Shizuka shivered.

* * *

A few days later, and a certain ninja was in a pinch.

"…Senpai, are you sure about this?" Tyranno Kenzan asked, brushing a few of his long braids back behind his shoulder while hesitantly letting go of Wataru's right arm. "Your left leg is still healing, you know."

"And I don't think Miyako-san would appreciate your coming in via _hopping_ on one leg, Wataru," Marufuji Sho added, a clear look of disapproval on his face when glancing down at the bandaged leg. Even with the grime and dirt on his glasses, Wataru could still make out the disappointment in the shorter man's eyes. "Shouldn't you go to a hospital first?"

"Eh, I can do that later." Wataru waved it off with a grin while brandishing said leg. "I can still walk around a bit! And we're already here," — emphasizing his home in the distance with a wave of his right arm — "So it's a quick walk! I can sneak in through the dojo window!"

"But, senpai," Kenzan started, sweating. "That might be true, but your leg—"

"Leg, _shmeg_ , whatever." Wataru shrugged. "I'll see you guys later! Give the report for me!"

And then he was actually _hopping. Towards_ the nearest dojo window. On _one_ leg.

Sho was facepalming now.

"Wait, senpai—!" Kenzan reached out with his arm, only to watch as the older man climbed in through said window rather painfully before disappearing behind the glass.

Sho sighed. "…Ugh, whatever. At least it's not how bad _Aniki_ used to do things, Kenzan-kun." Nonetheless, the bluenette shook his head.

Kenzan blinked, looked down at his comrade, then laughed sheepishly. "True on all that, Marufuji-senpai. Let's go to the Hokage then."

"Off we go…!" Sho said sarcastically.

* * *

"Strike one!"

Wataru's heart beat hard. He knew that voice.

"Hah! Hah!"

_Miyako. Kei-chan. And…_

"Hah! Hah!" A higher-pitched voice echoed.

"Strike one! Block one! Duck! Backstep! Snap the sword harder, children! Strike two!"

"Hah!"

_Hayate._

Wataru found his heart expanding with warmth. It was this warmth alone that he was able to ignore the pain in his left leg and keep climbing. Finally, _finally_ , he could smell the warm air of his home while the interiors of the dojo came into view, and the sight of his wife and kids made his injured leg feel almost weightless.

Heck, just _seeing_ his family again made his heart close to bursting.

Before he could stop himself, the words were already leaving his mouth.

"I'M HOMEEEE!"

A long pause followed.

Miyako was the first to look up, still in her training gi being all serious, before her eyes widened. "…Wataru? What?"

The kids were the next to notice him, looking up from their own training with a bokken and shinai, and then Wataru saw Kei and Hayate grin. "Daddyyyyy!" they squealed in unison.

He jumped in with as much grace as he could muster while ignoring the painful signals his left leg was emitting at the landing, opening his arms once he got a good footing. "C'mere, kids!"

And then Kei and Hayate dropped their swords and came running. They tackled him with as much force as the tree he originally hit, yet Wataru found himself not even caring because it was _his_ _kids._ They were here, hugging him with so much force, and he couldn't find a better place to be.

He was _home_.

"Daddy, what happened? Why did you come home early? Did you kick the bad guys' butts?" Hayate babbled in his ear.

"We missed you, Dad! It's been two weeks too long! I thought you were going to be gone for three!" Kei added happily.

"Welp, things happened, and everybody allowed me to come home early~!" Wataru snuggled the kids happily while looking up, and met Miyako's eyes with a bright grin. "I wanted to come home as soon as I could."

Miyako just smiled down at him while lowering her own bokken. "Welcome back, Wataru."

Ignoring some of the kids' babbles, Wataru found himself smiling a bit brighter. "I'm home, Miyako."

…And then the moment had to be broken. Hayate shifted, accidentally sitting on his bandaged left leg, and Wataru winced.

Kei noticed. "…Dad, are you okay?"

Hayate blinked before looking down. And then he squeaked, "Daddy, you're _injured!_ " in the loudest yet cutest voice he had ever heard in the past two weeks.

" _What._ " Miyako said flatly, and her bokken dropped with an audible _SLAM_ before the kids scurried off of Wataru's lap, allowing her to see the full extent of the damage. To put it lightly, Wataru found himself sweating when looking into his wife's eyes again. "…Wataru."

"…Um, yes?" he said meekly.

Miyako sighed. "Hospital. _Now_."

Wataru sweatdropped.

Later getting picked up and carried by his own _wife_ (who, mind you, was eight inches and 30 pounds smaller than him) to the Konoha hospital felt weird.

Fun, but weird.

Now, if only the kids weren't so wide-eyed when looking at him, he would've felt a bit less embarrassed.

Nearby, Hoshino Judai was wiping the windows down at Nagareboshi Cafe, only to catch Wataru's eye and smirk.

… _I had this coming, didn't I?_

* * *

It was a day with _lots_ of snow that it happened.

If anything, I didn't have any warning. It was just sweeping away the snow at the doorstep of the cafe, cleaning up with Mama and Papa, and then getting to work at the piano when he stopped by.

Kakashi took his seat next to me with a lot less vigor than usual, which said a lot considering how quiet he normally is, and when I turned to him, he wasn't meeting my eyes. If anything, his shoulders were shaking.

That wasn't good.

I gulped the lump in my throat down, took a breath, and then opened my mouth. "Kakashi? Are you...Are you okay?"

His head shot up so fast to where I found myself lurching back. His eyes… were almost empty. Cloudy really, with only hints of the usual silver I was used to. Then, he turned away, his hair hiding those eyes again. " …It's nothing. Don't worry about me."

… _Um, yeah._ _ **No**_ _._

Before I knew what I was doing, I was grabbing Kakashi's face in my hands to make him look at me, and I started rambling. "Kakashi, it's not _nothing_ if you're not facing me. It's not _nothing_ if your shoulders are shaking." —at my words, he seemed to tense up even more at this point— "Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi." I shook my head, leaning in so that we could touch foreheads while sighing. "You're my friend, okay?" I made sure to speak honestly. "You're my friend, and I'm worried about you. You come in, being quieter than usual, and expect me _not_ to do anything when it is _obvious_ that something is going on?"

He sighed, trying to look away even with my hands still on his face. "Tomoko—"

"Don't ' _Tomoko_ ' me, Kakashi," I interrupted, closing my eyes. "I'm worried about you, okay? Don't take it as pity, or obligatory sympathy, or anything like that. I've heard enough about that from you already." A sigh left me. "You're not just any other customer, you're a regular and my _friend_. And I _chose_ to worry about you. I _chose_ to care about you when you first came here on your own without Minato-san. So you don't have to be so tense like this, alright? If you want to talk, go on ahead. I want to _help_ you."

He looked up at me, making eye contact for the first time that day, and the cloudiness in his eyes disappeared. Instead, what replaced them was the first signs of _tears_. "T-Tomoko…" he started quietly.

My heart _broke_ at the sound alone.

I immediately pressed on the nearest privacy seal on the piano, putting in as much chakra as I could feel in my hands for the sake of letting this moment be _private_ , before letting go of his face to hug him. "I-It's okay, Kakashi. It'll be okay."

A hand reached over to clutch the back of my kimono dress in return as a shaky breath sounded near my ear. "…Tomoko, you can't see me, right?"

I nodded almost immediately. "…Shinobi Rule #25, correct? But you're not out on the field, Kakashi. You're with me, in Nagareboshi Cafe, and you _can_ let go. It's _okay_ to not be a shinobi here. It's _okay_ to cry, because you're _human_. _I_ won't judge you, and I don't think anyone here will do so either."

To my surprise, he shook his head, squeezing me a bit tighter. "Shinobi aren't allowed to show their tears, Tomoko…or else they're scum…" I didn't miss how his voice started to shake. "Pure _scum_ …"

And then the first cracks in his composure started to show themselves.

I just hugged him as tightly as I could, hoping my own tears weren't noticeable or even falling while he let go of his emotions for what might've been the first time _ever in his entire ninja career_ , instead brainstorming.

The time was now.

The White Fang may have fallen, but Hatake Sakumo could still be saved.

And I couldn't fail.

Not when a friend was already suffering before the possible _canonical_ inevitable.

* * *

A little while later, Kei was in the middle of another session with the Dreamer when a loud knock sounded on her door.

 **…What is it now?** The Dreamer commented moodily.

Kei got up from her meditative position to stretch. Shockingly, the same knock, albeit louder this time, sounded on her door.

**Go and get it…**

The ninja went over to throw the door open, only to blink as Hoshino Tomoko dressed in a dress that was _way too similar_ to Super Sailor Moon was left staring at her, wide-eyed and breathless. "…Uh, Tomoko? What's going on? And what's with the dress?" Kei found herself saying.

Tomoko just gulped. "Kei. Concert. Sakumo-san. Kakashi. Coming in, like, 1-2 hours. Um. Help?"

Kei lurched backwards with a raised eyebrow before facepalming. "…You tell me this NOW?"

Tomoko squeaked in half-embarrassment, half-protest. "K-Kinda hard to say it earlier when Kakashi ends up _crying_ on you and Sakumo-san turns out to be a whole lot more self-deprecating than we thought, so you organize everything back home only to realize that you still need some stuff!" The civilian then hung her head. "And, welp, more like some people to help with the emotional rollercoaster afterwards."

Kei dragged her hand across her face with a sigh. "Ah, hell."

The Dreamer's mental voice was grim. **This must be what happened to Sakumo... And now we get to stop it.**

"…I'm sorry, Kei," the civilian said slowly.

Kei just reached over to pat the girl's head before offering a hand. At Tomoko's wide-eyed look, the ninja attempted her best grin. "Well, c'mon. The cafe isn't going to handle itself. We'll take the window."

* * *

The last thing Gekkō Wataru expected on an evening that was supposed to be relaxing (for him _and_ his broken leg apparently) was for Hoshino Tomoko to be insistently knocking on the door, asking for his daughter.

And _then_ for said civilian girl to dart up to Kei's room, having a high-pitched freakout with standout words being ' _Sakumo-san_ ' and ' _Concert_ ' before the sound of a window opening reached his ears.

"Wataru, was that—" Miyako didn't even finish her sentence, instead opting for a facepalm.

He blinked before looking outside and finding his jaw dropping to the ground.

There Tomoko was, apparently now _riding_ on Kei's back for what appeared to be dear life, as his daughter leapt from rooftop to rooftop in some direction. The bright kimono dress on Tomoko's person just made the situation that much stranger, and Wataru hopped over to the window, crutches and all, to blink. "Where are they _going?_ "

"Nagareboshi Cafe, probably," Miyako sounded somewhat grim, and he didn't miss how she changed her indoor slippers to proper geta sandals to head outside. "We're heading out, Wataru. Make sure to grab Hayate-chan."

"Got it," he answered immediately.

* * *

Hoshino Judai sighed.

Everything seemed to be in place. The streamers were all put up, every table was cleaned, and every knife was put away and NOT in visible reaching distance.

So.

" _Why_ did Tomoko-chan rush out of the cafe earlier?" he found himself muttering, crossing his arms. He had even shaved his well-liked stubble and put on a _suit_ of all things to go along with his daughter's recent idea, so the fact that she had promptly turned red before running out the front doors with nothing but a cry of, ' _Need Kei!'_ earlier that evening worried him.

Nearby, Hikari shrugged. Even when somewhat confused herself, the verdant green dress she was wearing certainly did wonders on her appearance. "Probably to get Kei-chan, no doubt. She _has_ been talking a lot with her lately."

"Which is fine," Judai answered somewhat testily. "But knowing Kei, she might do something reckless—"

Hikari interrupted with a cheerful laugh while walking over to pat his shoulder. "Dear, I don't think Kei-chan's _that_ bad…"

And then she was cut off by the quiet opening of the doors, the first person walking through being a somewhat sheepish Kei herself. "…Um, hi?" she started awkwardly, a hand around a girl that looked very familiar with that bright kimono dress…

Judai's instincts went haywire. "Tomoko-chan?!" Without even thinking, he ran over, and Tomoko smiled up at him, still looking innocent as always despite appearing somewhat green. "What happened?!"

"U-Um…" the girl wobbled a little on her feet. "I-I went to get Kei, and she took a shortcut via jumping on rooftops to take me back, and… _urgh_." Tomoko then covered her mouth. "I-I think I'll be okay though, Daddy."

Nearby, Hikari sighed. "I'll get the water, dear."

Kei scratched her cheek sheepishly. "…Sorry, Tomoko."

The civilian waved a hand shakily in return. "D-Don't worry about i-it…"

Judai held back any irritation to just sigh and hug the girl softly. "Just don't run out like that without saying something first, okay? You worried me."

"I-I'm sorry, Papa…" And Tomoko hugged him back.

Judai then turned to Kei with a sheepish smile. "Lemme guess, Tomoko-chan grabbed you for helping out tonight?"

"Yep," Kei responded, now rubbing the back of her head. "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is," Judai let go of Tomoko to just poke Kei's cheek with a grin. "More hands the better."

It was then when everyone was at work that he heard a new voice.

"Tomoko-chan worried us too, you know."

Judai tried not to jump, and looked up only to blink at the sight of Wataru and Miyako towering over him and his work on the stage, Wataru grinning sheepishly while holding onto the hand of a six-year-old Hayate. Even crutches didn't stop the boy from sticking close to his father, a bright grin soon blooming on his face.

"Sis!" the boy said happily, letting go of his father's hand to tackle Kei, who was nearby cleaning the bar.

"Think you could explain what's going on, Judai?" Miyako smiled, but he could tell through her eyes alone that this was serious.

Judai sighed. Then he proceeded to pick Tomoko up in his arms, smiling at the girl before looking back at his old friends. "We don't have much time, but bear with me?"

They had one hour left before Hatake Sakumo was slated to arrive.

* * *

Gekkō Miyako wasn't sure what to think. Even if she was tidying up some of the loose ends in the form of leftover packaging left in the cafe while Wataru watched over Hayate.

A concert was one thing, but a _whole performance_? For just one man?

It was true that Hoshino Tomoko was a different case of civilian girl altogether. But…trying to help a man that the entire village _scorned?_

It wasn't hard to miss the plotting. The girl did care _quite_ a bit, after all. But bringing Kei-chan in her planning and doing all this?

It was as if she was painting a _target_ on her back.

"Judai," Miyako said, moving a crate out of the way so that he wouldn't trip. In the meantime, she waited for his response, and soon enough, the brunette blinked and looked up from his work in setting up the microphones on the stage to incline his head.

"Yeah?"

"Are you…" Miyako paused, exhaling through her nose. "Are you sure about this? Helping… helping…"

"Helping Sakumo, right?" Judai finished.

Miyako opted for a single nod.

Judai sighed before grinning. "To be honest? Yeah. I am. It's probably going to sound careless and ridiculous, considering the apparent state of the village after Sakumo's return, but I'm not going to abandon him now. Especially if I have the chance to help. Tomoko-chan told me what was going on, at least as much as she could without breaking down herself." Miyako didn't miss how his hand clenched tightly over a microphone. "I'm not going to let him suffer alone now." The last part was quiet, but she still heard it.

" _Not like I did_."

_Oh._

She nodded before taking a moment to scan their surroundings.

White chakra was homing in on the cafe, pretty quickly in fact despite the slow churning it was making in the air.

"He's getting close, Judai," she murmured.

Judai sighed. "Well, shit. Showtime's looming. Tomoko-chan? Hikari?" With their names called, the two ladies blinked from their own work on their instruments, eyes wide in his direction. "He's coming."

Hikari and Tomoko both nodded.

The overhead clock ticked ominously.

* * *

Hatake Sakumo didn't know what to do with himself.

His mission failed, his son apparently detested him more so than any other ninja out there already scorning him, and the Hokage's disappointed face still haunted his thoughts.

What was left for him?

What could he do?

He had already lost _Satomi_ …and now he was losing his place in the village and his role as a father to his son?

Was this more punishment from God?

He didn't know.

The last thing he was expecting was for Kakashi to barge into his room with the biggest poker face he had ever seen. "C'mon, Dad."

Sakumo's heart beat hard. When was the last time Kakashi had called him… _Wait_. He was wearing…he was wearing that _shuriken-patterned scarf_ again too. Why… "Where are we going…?" he croaked.

Kakashi grabbed his hand, pulled him up, and then started walking out of the room with Sakumo barely keeping up with him. "Outside. You need to see something."

If no one was staring after them, then maybe he could survive.

But judging by the glares from _every single direction_ , Sakumo wasn't feeling that great. The only thing keeping him anchored to reality was the tight grip on his hand from Kakashi, and the former White Fang could only wonder.

_Why are you still holding onto me?_

_Why don't you hate me?_

_Why don't you—_

And then a familiar neon sign loomed into view.

Sakumo blinked. Then gaped as Kakashi continued pulling on him. "Kakashi…what…this is…"

"Nagareboshi Cafe," Kakashi murmured, never letting go while pushing the red doors open. "There's some people who want to see you, Dad."

_Me? Why…why me?_

And then the lights blinded him.

Yuki— _no,_ Hoshino Judai was dolled up in a suit, bowing in his direction with a grin. "Welcome back to Nagareboshi Cafe, Sakumo. It's been a while."

Sakumo blinked, words leaving him. Instead, he found himself stumbling. "J-Judai…? Wha…what is…" In an attempt to find his tongue, Sakumo glanced around only to find himself even more tongue-tied. What was supposed to be Nagareboshi Cafe felt like a completely _different building._ The bright streamers, the warm lights that originally blinded him, and the sparkles of the tables and counters made it all feel like he had walked into something bright and otherworldly.

"Well," Judai whistled while grinning down at Kakashi, who blinked and turned away defiantly. "Consider this as something to motivate you again."

Sakumo blinked. "…Wha?"

A soft sigh broke through his thoughts. "We know what's happened to you, Sakumo-kun."

His heart stopped as he turned to make eye contact with warm, sympathetic sapphire. "H-Hikari…"

The civilian woman smiled, taking the lower hem of her sleeveless green dress in hand to curtsey, side ponytail lightly framing her face. "We've all noticed it's been hard on you lately," - Sakumo didn't miss how Hikari beamed down at Kakashi too, and he nodded in her direction - "And this was the only way we could think of supporting you."

_Supporting…me…?_

_Even after…after I…_

Sakumo found himself gaping in disbelief as tears were starting to blur his vision. "H-Hikari…"

The civilian smiled again before motioning towards the seats behind her. "How about you and Kakashi-kun take a seat near the front of the stage, Sakumo-kun? The concert will start soon."

Sakumo wiped his tears away hastily, hoping Hikari didn't see them. If Kakashi did, he gave no indication that said so. "C-Concert…?"

Kakashi pulled on his hand again, gently this time. "C'mon, Dad."

Sakumo breathed in shakily before nodding.

Once they found seats, all the cafe lights dimmed in exchange for one large spotlight to shine in the center of the building. Specifically, on the stage where one girl was standing in front of the main microphone.

Sakumo _and_ Kakashi both found their jaws dropping. "T…Tomoko?"

The girl took the hem of her white-yellow-blue patterned skirt to curtsey much as her mother did before her. If not for the white hair ribbon on what seemed to be the left hair strand, she was almost unrecognizable with the new white kimono top and bright magenta obi. Heck, her normal shyness seemed to have completely disappeared judging by her firm expression alone. Nonetheless, the girl straightened herself, held the microphone with one hand, and spoke. "Welcome to Nagareboshi Cafe tonight, Sakumo-san, Kakashi. I worked with Mama and Papa to invite you two here today for no other reason than to let you two relax. I think we all know better than anyone else now that tensions have been high and how it's been taking a toll on everyone, whether on the field or in the village."

Sakumo hung his head.

 _It was your fault!_ His mind added helpfully.

Tomoko sighed, the breath quiet but audible nonetheless because of the microphone. "And…I will admit that I don't know everything. If anything, I'm just a civilian girl. A pianist who works at this cafe day and night, who doesn't even know the whole lifestyle of a ninja despite serving them, so I don't have the right to judge the situation for what it is."

Sakumo gulped down the first signs of tears.

Had he been more emotionally coherent, he may have noticed a few of his former subordinates watching the spectacle with mixed emotions in their eyes. Or Kakashi's conflicted stare in his direction.

"But…" the girl breathed again. "That doesn't mean others have that right either."

… _Huh?_ Sakumo looked up only to make eye contact with bigger, yet similar sympathetic sapphire orbs.

"Unfortunately, and this is just mere conjecture from observation alone," Tomoko breathed again, the air brushing the microphone in her hands. "I think we all keep forgetting that _everyone_ is human. That a _soldier, a ninja,_ can cry as much as I can, as a _civilian_ can, and yet society keeps making that divide. Why? Why do we just judge others based on what society tells us? Is it because we don't see any other way? Or were things really so bad to where the pain has to be pushed onto one person alone to shoulder? Why can't we just see the situation for what it was on _all sides of the coin_? Why can't we just help our fellow human being?"

Sakumo was speechless as the tears were finally starting to show themselves. He didn't have the strength to stop them.

Kakashi looked up at him to blink slowly, a gesture that he clearly felt this time. "…Dad…"

"I don't know. In the end, I just _don't know_." Tomoko shook her head, and even with tears in his own eyes, Sakumo couldn't miss the minute sparkles dotting the girl's own cheeks. "I'm just a civilian. A civilian girl, who just tries to live on, figuring out the answer, little by little, every day. And I think that is what's important."

The civilian hung her head for a moment, wiped her eyes with her pale pink kimono sleeve, then looked out towards him again. "Don't wallow in your failures or mistakes. Don't let the past hold you down. Move forward, and keep _living._ "

His heart stopped.

Sakumo looked up to meet the girl's eyes, and it was as if those blue orbs were staring into his soul. "Don't start thinking that in order to get your honor back, you have to die. Don't even _believe_ that by taking your own life, the other lives lost will instantly come back. Because they _won't_. Life is a _gift_. To _all of us_." The girl then swallowed a visible lump in her throat. "Don't waste it all on the past when it's already gone. Focus on the present you, on the you that you can still change for the better. If not that, then…" she inhaled quietly. "Then live for the people who care for you. Live for the people that _love_ you. Because you only get one chance at life at most. Wasting it away in solitude will only make the pain worse."

_How did she…_

Sakumo couldn't find any words to answer.

"I-I guess, what I'm trying to say is…" Tomoko exhaled quietly. "Don't take the coward's way out. Face your pain, your mistakes, head on, and recognize what happened. You can't change the past, but you can change the present. The future." The girl paused to breathe again, a hand landing over her chest. "Don't start to cherish something when it's long gone. Recognize what you have now, and treasure it with your life. Remember all the positive moments you've had, all the people you've loved, and _just live_. Don't fear loss or pain. Take it in, endure it, and use it to help others. Because in the end, life is a gift, but short, and with the world the way it is, wouldn't it be better to impart love and care to our loved ones before the inevitable?"

Sakumo was already close to sobbing. What left him was a simple, "T-Tomoko-chan…"

The girl finally smiled, albeit shakily. "I-I hope that is something you can get out of this concert. Thank you." And with another curtsey, Tomoko backed away from the microphone. The main spotlight took the moment to extend its reach, revealing the grand piano and two other chairs in its midst, occupied by…

Sakumo was gaping again. "Hikari…and…Judai?"

Nearby, Gekkō Wataru found himself grinning.

Hoshino Tomoko was not the only one standing on the stage tonight.

Hikari and Judai too, were together on the stage with her, holding their own instruments. Hikari having a soft beige rosewood violin, and Judai a large, welcoming brown cello.

Tomoko then took her seat at the piano bench, glanced at her parents, and they all shared one nod.

Even with a microphone nearby, Sakumo could barely make out the girl's whisper.

"Find a _Sanctuary_ to go to when lost."

Then, the music started.

It was a spectacle the cafe had yet to see in its recent history.

No one really thought piano, violin, and cello would mesh so well. But it did.

Of course, it took much practice for the family members in particular to bring such a sound across, but they did it.

And it didn't disappoint.

The Hoshino Family was truly a family band.

Hikari, eagerly playing her violin.

Judai, quietly stroking the strings of his cello.

And Tomoko, bringing it all together with the dance of her piano.

Along with what Kei and Miyako would know best as Tomoko's chakra.

Her _ninshu._

"Like _red roses_ , remember those who are at rest."

The instruments blended almost seamlessly.

"Don't look into the _white mirror_ and ask who's the loneliest of them all."

The passerby that day either ignored the noise from the late night timing or stayed back to peek through the windows in awe. Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were part of the latter group, making it easy for Gekkō Miyako to notice them when concentrating enough.

The swordswoman shrugged and focused back on the stage.

 _Tomoko-chan's chakra isn't acting up more than necessary._ Miyako allowed herself a sigh. _Everything is normal._

"Strike the problem at its core _from the shadows_."

Kei was caught between watching and applauding.

Hayate was completely awestruck, staring in surprise alongside his father.

"Face it head-on and let your flame _burn_."

Wataru didn't know whether to cheer or stay silent. His leg complained, so he just decided to lean against the wall.

The Hoshino Family knew what they were doing.

"And _just live_."

The last thing any spectator was expecting was for Tomoko to pull in the nearest microphone and start _singing_ in time with the music.

" _It used to feel like a fairy tale,_

_Now it seems we were just pretending_

_We'd fix our world, then on our way to a happy ending."_

"…!" Sakumo could've stopped breathing at this point alone.

Kakashi was speechless, his disbelief clearly rolling off him in _waves_. Kei blinked owlishly.

Tomoko's voice shook every now and then, but she kept going.

" _Then it turned out life was far less like a bedtime story_

_Than a tragedy with no big reveal of the hero's glory._

_And it seems we weren't prepared_

_For a game that wasn't fair._

_Do we just go home? Can we follow through? When all hope is gone, there is one thing we can do…"_

The girl took in one last breath.

" _Let's just live! Day by day, and not be conquered by our sorrows._

_The past can't hold us down, we must break free._

_Inside we're torn apart, but time will mend our hearts._

_Move onward, not there yet, so_ _**let's just live**_ _!"_

Once the last note was said and the music faded into the cafe atmosphere, what soon registered in the air was the sound of sobbing.

Sakumo had stood up and smiled with tears in his eyes before the sobs started leaving him. "T-Thank you…t-thank you…"

He then hid his face in his hands.

Kakashi was the first one on the scene, shooting up from his seat to hug his father's side. Then, Hikari and Judai, putting away their instruments before jumping off the stage and joining in on the hug, their bodies covering Sakumo's shaking one. Wataru and Miyako soon followed, Wataru joining the hug while Miyako reached over to pat Sakumo's shoulder. The front doors of the cafe soon opened, and Minato and Kushina rushed in to complete the large group hug, covering the former White Fang with soft reassurances and kind warmth.

Only Tomoko, Hayate, and Kei were left out of the large hug, the pianist choosing to watch the spectacle with a warm smile before looking over in Kei's direction.

The ninja blinked, glanced at Tomoko, then grinned.

Tomoko's eyes widened before starting to blur with tears of her own, a large yet shaky smile breaking out on her face. She shook her head, jumped off the piano bench, and ran over to hug Kei tightly, squishing a confused Hayate between them.

"We did it, Kei-chan," the pianist murmured shakily. "W-We did it."

Kei nodded, opting to reach over and pat the girl's head. " _You_ did it, Tomoko-chan. It was all you." But the grin was still there.

Hayate squirmed between the two girls with a frown. "T-Tomoko-nee-chan! Sis! You're squishing me!"

The long winter day ended with much warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: …Welp, that happened.
> 
> This chapter honestly took so long because there was so much to fit in. The original Chapter 13 of Civilian Pianist that this was heavily based on meant that Sakumo needed to take precedence again. Problem was, The Sea and Stars heavily focused on the kids up to this point, so I actually tried something different, taking on multiple POVs from both adults and third-person perspective for the sake of getting a different scene across. I didn't want to plagiarize the original scene from Chapter 13 nor change the scene entirely, so here we are. Not to mention, I did want to honor many of the adult characters in CYB and CP because they are just as important as our main leads.
> 
> Sakumo is still saved of course, but for fans of Lang's Catch Your Breath, you guessed it. Wataru also is saved! This leads to lots of changes for the future, and I wanted to try fleshing this out as much as possible so that this makes sense.
> 
> Then again, I'm rambling and it's midnight when I'm publishing this. I'll add an extra note when I'm more coherent.
> 
> Oh, and the Yugioh allusions? Yep. :) I added quite a few. I hope you caught them all!
> 
> Nonetheless, a warm thanks to Lang for supporting me in this project! This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to sleep.


	10. There Is Always A Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei, her parents, and Yatsu and Fuse Inuzuka belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is once again taken directly from Civilian Pianist, specifically Rafik el Jar's Synthesia cover of There Is A Reason by Konomi Suzuki. An alternative is the original full version of the song out on YouTube, since the original is just as good if not gorgeous in its delivery of vocals and background music. I went back to this song again since it actually portrays the main emotions well, since once again, a lot of focus is on the adults of the story. Even with Tomoko's point of view taking over half in here. It's true that Kei and Tomoko are still central characters, but as a writer, I feel that the adults that raise and influence them deserve their fair share of respect too. So, that's why this song was chosen, since it covers the past of Disboard, the world that Sora and Shiro later inhabit.
> 
> On the other hand, for the songs that Tomoko plays in this specific chapter, we have:
> 
> *Lesdernier's piano cover of Let's Just Live from RWBY, this specific cover actually mimicking the soundtrack that played in Chapter 4 of Volume 4, which focused on Yang after her nightmare in the original scene; and
> 
> *SirOkihs's piano cover of Kalafina's Hikari Furu, the original song being a vocal cover of Sagitta Luminis from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
> 
> **The lyrics mentioned in the chapter come from Anime Lyrics dot Com, so please support them!
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 10: There Is Always A Reason_

Hoshino Hikari woke up the next morning in her futon, crust dotting her eyes amidst the sunlight shining in. She shook her head, wiping at her face with a hand before blinking.

" _Snooooore._ "

The warmth of another person suddenly registered to her, and she shifted to the left only to be met with the still sleeping Judai, actually drooling while an arm had apparently found itself over her waist. His other arm was supporting his head so that the drool wouldn't hit the pillow, but he was still asleep nonetheless.

" _Snooooooooore."_

Hikari held back the urge to giggle, instead gently lifting her husband's arm off her waist, pushing the futon covers back to sit up. Judging by the sunlight wafting through the window, it was still early morning.

The woman grinned to herself. It was time to make breakfast.

And with the rush of memory hitting her at that moment, she shrugged off the covers completely to get up and start getting dressed.

The Hoshinos had guests this morning.

* * *

Hatake Sakumo wasn't sure where he was. He knew he was at least in bed, but the scent was different.

It wasn't his room. Instead of the musty darkness, he could smell fresh air, and…

His eyes flew open as he glanced downwards.

A silver-haired boy with a mask that was _very familiar_ was sitting on top of him in a hug, quietly snoring away.

_Kakashi. He…He's here?_

Sakumo's heart began to beat hard.

_What…what happened—_

The memories then rushed him like a tsunami.

Without meaning to, tears were budding in his eyes again.

The night before. Getting led out of his room by his son, heading into Nagareboshi Cafe for what felt like the first time in _weeks,_ and then hearing an entire _concert._

All helmed by _one_ girl who stared at him straight in the eye and told him to live.

Had she known? Was it that obvious?

Sakumo wasn't sure.

Then, a soft knock sounded at the door. Sakumo tried not to jump, and instead found himself blinking at the door quietly creaking open, with a black head of hair peeking inside.

"Sakumo-san…? Kakashi…?" went a soft, _high-pitched_ voice. Hoshino Tomoko, wearing a simple nightgown, was behind the door, glancing around the room before meeting his eyes. She then smiled, waving a hand. "Good morning!"

"G-Good morning…?" he said back, still gaping.

Tomoko just giggled, opening the door a bit wider while motioning to the hallway outside. "Breakfast is almost ready, Sakumo-san. Get up and get dressed, okay?"

And with that said, she bowed her head towards him with another smile before closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Kakashi stirred above him. "…wha…"

Sakumo exhaled shakily as a single tear fell from his eye to land on his son's hair.

Kakashi blinked, only now feeling the new wetness on his head. "…Dad?"

"N-No, no," Sakumo found himself chuckling, leaning back while wiping an arm over his eyes. He could merely hope that his son didn't see the rest of said tears still bubbling in them. "I-I'm fine, Kakashi, I'm fine…"

The boy above him only hummed, clearly believing otherwise.

Sakumo sat up so that Kakashi could be more comfortable, putting on whatever smile he could. "L-Let's go, Kakashi."

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair.

I wasn't really sure how else to describe it, because that's how it was. I was used to spending Sunday mornings at the table with Mama and Papa, sharing our experiences in the past week at the cafe, or whatever we had done.

Not really have a near-full table of 5 people, with two of said occupants either eating too slowly or scarfing it down so fast to where I wasn't really sure what to comment on it all.

Sakumo-san definitely looked better than he had been last night, but the eye-bags and pinched cheeks said more than enough on how much the village's scorn had affected him.

Kakashi, on the other hand, still seemed to be tense, and the fact that his food was doing a disappearing act _while_ it looked like his mask was still on didn't help my heart.

"…Um…" I started, lowering my chopsticks. "Is the food…at least good?"

The two Hatakes blinked before looking up at me.

Sakumo-san smiled as much as he could. "I-It is, Tomoko-chan, thank you." And with that said, he returned to his rice bowl, eating at a bit more normal of a pace.

Kakashi on the other hand was in the middle of stuffing what appeared to be a… _full_ head of saury fish ( _like, holy crap, how can you eat that? I can't even stand looking into a dead fish's eyes, nonetheless_ _ **eat**_ _it)_ into his masked mouth before tilting his head at me. So apparently he wasn't a morning person, judging by his eyes.

No, they weren't cloudy, just…exasperated. He then returned to scarfing his fish down.

Ooookay. What to say here.

I glanced at Mama and Papa. They shared a look with each other, then turned back to me with varying shrugs.

_Ummm…_

"Uhhhhhhhhh…" I found myself saying.

"…Tomoko, is there something you want to say?" Kakashi said finally, putting his rice bowl down to stare at me. "You've been like this all of breakfast."

"Well, there _is_!" I threw my hands up in the air out of frustration. "The thing is, it's so _awkward_ right now that I don't know _what_ to say!" To add emphasis, I just bonked my forehead against the table, caught between sulking and raging. "This is the first time we've had someone _other_ than Kei and her family come over, and after everything from last night, I don't want to ruin the peace…"

"…Kei?" Kakashi said slowly, confusion lacing his voice.

And then, as if it was a miracle, a knock sounded on…the window?

"Judai! Hikari-chan! Tomoko-chan! Are you there?"

I glanced at the kitchen window, only to _choke._ Mama and Papa glanced in the same direction, only to gasp and nearly fall over respectively.

" _W-Wataru-jichan?!"_ I found myself screeching.

Sure enough, the older Gekkō was perched on the windowsill, _crutches and all_ , waving at us sheepishly while throwing said window open. "C-Could you guys open the door downstairs? Miyako-chan and the kids are down there, and we kinda don't want to break it down…"

"…Wataru, _dude_ ," Papa sat up in his chair with a frown. "Why didn't you send _Miyako_ up then? You're still injured! Why did **you** decide to come up?!"

"…Oh. Right," Wataru-jichan said, glancing down at himself before scratching the back of his head. "Oops?"

"Don't ' _Oops'_ me, man! You know how your wife gets!" Papa shivered before shaking his head. "I _knew_ I should've installed a doorbell down there…" he mumbled.

"…Probably a good idea, dear," Mama added quietly.

"Y'know what?" Papa threw his hands up in the air while getting up from his seat to help bring Wataru-jichan down from the windowsill. Mama had apparently gotten up from her seat too, from the looks of it, standing near him to help with holding the crutches. "Don't blame me if Miyako gets angry at you. Because you brought this on yourself, man."

"Don't remind me!" Mr. Gekkō whined.

Sakumo-san and Kakashi shared the same odd looks.

I was very tempted to faceplant myself into my rice bowl. But that wasn't sanitary, so I decided to jump up myself and run over to the door. "So Miyako-bachan, Kei, and Hayate are outside the front doors of the cafe right now, Wataru-jichan?"

"Yep!" he replied, sounding a bit happier now that I had provided a decent change of subject. "Please go let them in, Tomoko-chan."

I held back the urge to sigh loudly before throwing the door open and running down the stairs. It was then somewhat of a rinse-repeat process, where I threw open the main back door to rush through the cafe to reach the large red doors of the cafe entrance. Then it was grabbing the large gold handles of said doors to throw them open.

Apparently the force was enough to startle Kei and Hayate who were standing in front of the doors, since I didn't miss how they jumped. Miyako-bachan, on the other hand, was still as cool as a cucumber, even when wearing a yukata in the middle of a snow-covered road, only inclining her head at me. "Hello, Tomoko-chan," she said cooly. "By chance, is my husband up there in the house with your parents right now?"

 _Oh dear. Papa was right._ I couldn't miss the slight aura of irritation lacing Miyako-bachan's figure, and found myself nodding. "Y-You all can come in now! Besides, it's cold standing out here!" —that is, if the snow covering the Gekkō family's heads and the cold winds blowing into the cafe was enough to say that— "Come in, please!"

Miyako-bachan just nodded in my direction, a hand reaching over to pat my head before walking past me into the cafe. Behind her, Kei blinked at me.

"Thanks, Tomoko-chan," she replied, and even with the breeze coloring her cheeks pink, I didn't miss her bright grin. Kei then nudged Hayate, and he looked up at me with an equally bright smile.

"Thanks, Tomoko-neechan!" he chirped.

_Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_

I held back a squeal just to pat the boy's head, brushing some snow off in the process, as he passed me to head into the house.

* * *

If only I knew how much tension could be caused from my two best friends meeting each other for the first time.

Kei and Kakashi…didn't start off well. At all.

I probably should've warned them. Either Kei _or_ Kakashi.

But it didn't seem to say much, considering how quickly it happened. Once I opened that final door, everyone was staring at us.

Including Sakumo-san and Kakashi.

And when my Chunin friend took **one** look at Kei, his eyes darkened. "…Tomoko, who is this?" he said.

Oh dear god.

"Gekkō Keisuke," Kei said, in a tone that wasn't at all friendly. "Who are you?"

_Oh dear god._

"Hatake Kakashi, Chunin." Kakashi answered flatly, putting down his food.

And then they had to start a _stare-off_ of all things.

_**Oh dear god.** _

Why did my best friends have to _not_ like each other?

And why did I have a habit of befriending the dangerous people?!

Mama and Papa, who were currently cleaning up the table, blinked before glancing at me. I was just trying not to panic and instead met their eyes with a shaky smile, shaking my head.

_L-Let me try fixing this._

"U-Um, guys?" I tried, only realizing right after I said it how my voice turned high-pitched again.

Thankfully, my attempt at speaking had the desired effect of breaking off the staring contest, with Kei giving me a softer sidelong look than the glare she was giving off earlier. "Yeah, Tomoko?"

"C-Could we not do this now?" I found myself fidgeting, because Kakashi _and_ Hayate were now staring at me too, and I wasn't sure what else to do. "I-It's still the morning and it looks like…um…" I found myself glancing over at Miyako-bachan, and she just sighed.

"The adults were actually hoping we could come together and talk for a bit," she continued for me, shaking her head. "So, if you all could go somewhere else for that time, then that would be appreciated."

Sakumo-san then took the time to speak up quietly. If I didn't know any better, it felt like the first time he had ever spoken up without being prompted. "That includes you too, Kakashi."

I never saw Kakashi shoot up so fast from his seat in my life. But his expression said more than enough. "But Dad…."

"Please, Kakashi," the former White Fang looked almost forlorn while facing the Chunin. "This needs to be a private moment."

The tone was more than enough to convince him, as Kakashi backed down to then push his seat back into the table. "…Alright."

I glanced between Kakashi and Kei before making eye contact with Papa. Papa just smiled at me.

 _You can do it,_ his eyes seemed to say.

Hayate then tugged at my hand, making me look at him. "So, does that mean we'll be with Tomoko-neechan?"

"If you're okay with me, Hayate?" I responded, feeling my heart lighten a little at the boy's gesture. I wasn't sure if he purposefully meant to reach out to me, or coincidentally knew I was getting nervous, but his hand certainly did wonders for helping my heart.

"Of course I am!" Hayate chirped back, grinning again. "What about you, Sis?"

Kei blinked, still giving me that sidelong look, before nodding curtly. "Nothing wrong with that at all."

I glanced at Kakashi. He didn't meet my eyes, but since his silver ones weren't clouded over, I allowed myself a sigh of relief.

For some reason though, a part of me was questioning WHY Kakashi had yet to react to Hayate's comment of ' _Sis_ ' to Kei. Did he know that she was a girl already, orrrr….?

"Alright then," I said, breaking that thought off while squeezing Hayate's hand a bit tighter. "We'll all go to my room so the adults can talk." I then looked up at Papa again. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is." Papa smiled a bit brighter, walking over to pat my head. What was with people and my head? "Don't fight in there, kids."

"Okay, Papa…" But I found myself trailing off. Even when looking up at him, I found myself turning to Kei and Kakashi again. And, lo and behold, they had started _another_ staring contest.

"…Since that boy just called you ' _Sis,_ ' you're a girl," Kakashi deadpanned mid-stare.

Ooooh, so here was the reaction I was (kinda) waiting for!

"Is there a _problem_ with that?" Kei said back, her voice sounding even _less_ friendly with each passing second.

Dread filled me almost instantly.

_Oh dear. How did I end up with these people again?_

With a more exaggerated sigh, I just let go of Hayate's hand to instead put a hand on both Kei and Kakashi's shoulders, making their attention go to me while I started pushing them out of the kitchen. So, in a sense, I started a small train of my own, with Kakashi and Kei as the unwilling passengers of this impromptu run. "Hayate, follow me, okay?" I tried to give him a sidelong look for the sake of hiding my panic, plastering a grin on my face. "And help me push your stubborn Sis, please!"

"Got it, Tomoko-nee!" he cheered, quickly running up to join me in pushing Kei forward.

Overall, we made a pretty interesting image.

It turns out that an 8-year old girl, with the help of a 6-year old boy, had enough force to push two unwilling 8-9 year old ninja out of the room and into the hallway.

What an interesting power divide.

"Tomoko, Haa-chan, you don't have to push!" Kei protested.

Kakashi just glared at me from the side of his eye.

Even if he was attempting to dig his heels into the tile, just… _no_.

 _ **No.**_ _Not letting you, dude. You need some social interaction._

Oh, Kei. Oh, Kakashi. If only you knew how much I _had_ to push you both out and supervise your tension.

Ninja stare-offs were _not_ fun. And I was _not_ looking forward to reintroductions.

Why did it always turn to _me_ when it came to egg-shell walking in relationships?!

* * *

"…"

"…"

…Yep. When everyone got into my room, no one said anything. Heck. I was tempted to just voice a literal ' _dot_ - _dot-dot_ ' because of how quiet it was. The only real noises were the initial shuffling of people into my room and Hayate later taking the chance to climb into my lap, using me as a seat. Why me, I wasn't sure.

But then again, considering the _other_ two people in the room…

"…"

"…"

I didn't blame the younger Gekkō sibling one bit.

And he _was_ warm, so that was nice.

Still.

Kei and Kakashi had yet to make full eye contact with each other after I broke them off back in the living room. And with nothing said on either of their ends, it just created a new tension that was suffocating and heart-wrenching.

Go me. Just when I get everyone out of _one_ tense situation, I find myself trying to solve another.

Heck, if Hayate wasn't using me as a seat, I may have forgotten that I wasn't the only third wheel in the room. And he was snuggly, so it helped.

Hugging would _always_ be my go-to for tense situations.

But still. How am I supposed to start this?

Breaking the silence between my two best friends, I mean?

Out of frustration, I found myself speaking up. "Um…Kei-chan? Kakashi?"

The two turned to me with almost equal amounts of recognition in their eyes. "Yes, Tomoko-chan/Tomoko?"

… _Even their answers were in unison_.

Kei and Kakashi apparently noticed too, because they just glanced at each other before looking away pointedly. Kei had somehow grabbed a book from my closet in her haste, flipping it open to skim the pages really quickly while Kakashi just pulled out a kunai and a cleaning cloth, starting to polish it.

I sighed. Hayate looked up at me from my lap.

"Tomoko-nee?" he said slowly.

I just rested my chin on his head while hugging him a bit tighter. He let out a small hum of confusion, but let me do it nonetheless. "I'll be fine, Hayate, don't worry," I held back the urge to sigh loudly again. "I just need to do something to make it not so quiet here."

Hayate blinked before resting a hand against one of mine.

_Now, what's a good icebreaker…?_

Hayate then started to play with my fingers absently, clearly bored.

_I don't think we have a chessboard in here, and pillow fights aren't really my thing in helping out…not to mention shinobi tag is a NO since Hayate is still six and Kei isn't a full ninja yet…let's see…_

I wracked my head.

Then, it hit me.

"Neh, Kakashi?"

He looked up from his kunai polishing, raising an eyebrow at me. "What?"

I found myself giggling. "Ten million ryo, but."

"…But what?" he completed slowly, blinking in confusion.

"You get a hypothetical reward of ten million ryo or something, to start," I shrugged my shoulders while snuggling Hayate a little more, noting how Kei was glancing at me over her book with easily palpable curiosity. "But there's a catch that you have to choose to take or not for the ten million. Rejecting it means rejecting the ten million."

"Alright," Kakashi deadpanned, lowering his kunai. His eyes clearly showed his disbelief without the deadpan even added in. "Throw that catch at me then."

I couldn't think of anything else. I just ended up blurting it out with a high-pitched voice. Probably out of leftover nervousness, no doubt. "Ten million ryo, but for the rest of your life, you can't wear your mask."

A long pause followed.

"…Bwuh?" Kei summed up succinctly.

* * *

Hoshino Judai always had half the urge to laugh when it came to his kids.

You're probably wondering right now why he uses the plural form of _kids_ instead of _kid_ considering his actual family.

Sure, he had one biological daughter in the form of Tomoko that he would _never_ stop cuddling because she was so cute, but when the Gekkō siblings, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and Hatake Kakashi came into the picture as said daughter's friends?

They _were_ his kids. Even if they denied it.

Well, the only one who seemed to deny it was Kakashi at least. At the moment.

Judai was sure Kakashi would warm up to the idea of extended family eventually. If only ninja antics weren't always on his mind.

Heck, Judai had to hold back the loudest laughter he ever had in a while at the sight of said ninja leaving the room. Just the simple scene of Kakashi being pushed out of the room _by_ his daughter? With Hayate helping by pushing his older sister?

He needed to get popcorn.

But it wasn't the time for that right now. The kids heading somewhere else meant business was starting up again.

Not the cafe business. Personal business.

Hikari (thank goodness for her) had already started brewing tea and setting it out for Wataru and Miyako at their new seats. And judging by the sweet aroma of said tea, it seemed Miyako's lessons were paying off.

On the other hand, Sakumo had yet to move aside from putting away the dishes he used in the sink, and judging by his slumping figure, the 'business' was weighing on him more than Judai thought.

Once everyone was seated and cared for with tea, Judai cleared his throat. "Well, with the kids elsewhere, I can ask this now," He didn't miss how all the adults straightened in their chairs. Judai held back the urge to sigh and turned to Sakumo, the words coming out naturally. "Sakumo, are you okay?"

The former White Fang, judging by his wide eyes, was not expecting the question at all. His shoulders tensed before anything came out. "I…I…" he hung his head. "Close to being okay," he said finally. "But I'm not fully okay yet. Not after all that."

"What exactly happened, Captain?" Wataru interrupted solemnly. "Did the mission really…" he trailed off as soon as Miyako lightly prodded him with an elbow.

Sakumo simply hung his head. "I'm not sure if I'm deserving of that title anymore, Wataru-kun, so don't call me that. Please."

Hikari sighed for him and probably everyone else at the table. "Well, what matters is that we're all here. Alive and all." Then, she looked up at Sakumo with warm eyes. "You don't have to talk about it if it's still painful, Sakumo-kun."

Sakumo looked up with a small smile. "…Thank you, Hikari," he said slowly.

"But I am guessing it is bad enough to where staying at the Hatake Compound is not an option anymore?" Miyako added gently.

The tense quiet had returned as Sakumo nodded. "The villagers have been getting angrier by the day. There have been moments where I've come home only to find the house vandalized or empty because Kakashi's left home," he paused, hanging his head again. "I think they're targeting Kakashi too, and I'm still surprised he talked to me like nothing was wrong last night. And…" he trailed off, gulping.

Judai sighed. "You're surprised that he still cares about you?"

"…Yeah," Sakumo replied quietly. "Yeah."

"Of course he would," Wataru interrupted, crossing his arms behind his head. "He's your only son—of course he still would. You're his only parent, Cap— _Sakumo_." Miyako smiled at the nin in approval. "Any kid would feel that way."

The former White Fang, once again, went silent.

 _Fuck it._ Judai blurted out what first came to his lips. "How about you and Kakashi stay with us then, Sakumo?"

Every single head in the room turned in his direction. Heck, the only stare that wasn't surprised or shocked when boring into his head was Hikari's, being that soft, understanding gaze he had grown to love.

Sakumo summed it up with a simple and shaky, " _What?_ "

Judai tried not to fumble when formulating his response. "Think about it. The villagers will keep targeting you and Kakashi if you stay at the compound, Sakumo. So try to start a new leaf, no pun intended," —catching Wataru mid-snicker at his response— "By staying with Hikari, Tomoko-chan, and I. The cafe is pretty well off already, so we can support you until everything boils down."

"But…Judai," Sakumo looked extremely conflicted now. "You don't get it. The villagers won't just stop at me…they'll…they'll…"

"They'll target us with their shitty ways too?" Hikari interrupted.

Wataru and Miyako both turned to look at Hikari with surprise. The civilian woman leveled a calm stare back, shrugging. "What? You ninja can really go through some shitty stuff from the world in general. Nothing wrong in saying it." Hikari then cracked her knuckles absently. "And don't worry, Sakumo-kun, we can handle it."

"…And you say _I_ curse quite a bit," Judai muttered.

Hikari just glanced at him with the same level stare.

Judai sighed. Thank goodness Tomoko-chan was in the other room.

Sakumo was still gaping.

"…As much as arguing on how the village can be horrible can be beneficial and all," Miyako interrupted quietly, inclining her head. "I can sense two others at the front door, Hikari. They're friends, so you can let them in."

It was now the civilian woman's turn to blink with surprise. "Friends?" she said slowly. "Who?"

Miyako smiled gently. "Judging by the chakra signatures? Inuzuka Fuse and Yatsu. Yatsu, I recall, was the Hyuga I took Tomoko-chan to with Judai on her chakra a while back."

That was all it took for Hikari's eyes to widen. Then she stood up from her seat to run over to the back door and the sound of slippers hitting stair steps graced the air.

"…Well, I can see where Tomoko-chan gets her enthusiasm," Wataru commented idly when the door slammed on the woman afterwards.

Judai shook his head with a smile. "It's a blessing when I don't have any."

And then the door reopened, with the blind Hyuga walking in first, followed by an Inuzuka woman Judai was sure he had seen around. With her long, wild black hair, the common Inuzuka triangles on her cheeks, and somewhat mellow eyes, the lady had a face that he recognized enough to peg her as 'familiar,' but not as 'an old friend'.

"…Hello, Yatsu," Judai started slowly, trying not to feel the slightest bit of irritation. Let it never be said that he couldn't hold grudges on occasion. Even if the Gentle Fist blocks were something his daughter _tried_ to deny as the most painful thing in the world.

_Sigh._

"Hello, Judai," the Hyuga bowed his head in his direction before being led by the lady to take a seat on the nearby couch. "Thank you for having me again."

"No problem," he answered coolly. Then he focused on the Inuzuka woman. "And you are…"

"Fuse. Inuzuka Fuse," she smiled, resting a hand on Yatsu's knee. "You've met my husband already."

_Huh. Okay then._

Judai decided not to question it.

"Anyways…" he continued, glancing at Miyako while doing so. "I'm guessing you two heard about what happened, too?"

"We did," Yatsu answered solemnly.

Fuse tilted her head in Judai and Sakumo's direction with concern shining in her eyes. "Is there anything we can do?"

Judai opened his mouth, then paused.

What _could_ they do? Heck, what else could be done?

The village was…

He turned to Sakumo. The former White Fang met his eyes for a moment before glancing at the Inuzuka couple with forlorn eyes. "…I'm not really sure right now," he admitted quietly. "The last thing I want is for you two to face more ostracism from the villagers after everything you've gone through, so it might be better if you guys leave me alone—"

" _Bullshit._ " Fuse interrupted hotly. Sakumo lurched back with surprise as Hikari blinked, having gone over to the kitchen to prepare more tea. "Captain—no, _Sakumo-senpai_ —it doesn't matter what the villagers think. You're still senpai to me. And my brother owns the apartment complex where Yatsu and I live. You _and_ Kakashi can come with us if it gets to be too much."

"…And you helped me when I lost my Byakugan, Sakumo-san," Yatsu added quietly, the same note of determination in his voice. "It is about time that I returned the favor."

Tears started to flood Sakumo's eyes.

"…I'm not sure about us, but we'll be here to help too, Sakumo," Wataru continued, bright smile on his face. "If you need a day or two to stay at another place, I think Miyako-chan and I can help."

It was then that Sakumo's shoulders started to shake.

Hikari quietly walked over to the kitchen table again, setting a refilled cup of tea down in front of the former White Fang before gently wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder in a hug from behind. "It'll be okay, Sakumo-kun. It's not okay now, but you'll get there one day. You still have us, even when the village tries to make you believe otherwise."

Then the former White Fang hid his face in his hands as the first sobs started leaving his throat.

Judai smiled sadly. There was nothing else that could be said.

Sakumo needed this.

Heck.

Everyone deserves the chance to let go of the facade and just feel.

* * *

"Okay…" Kei grinned while raising a finger in the air. "Ten million ryo, but…"

I found myself leaning in closer out of anticipation as Hayate cheered from my lap.

I could've _sworn_ Kakashi was looking at us from the side in interest. Even if he was trying to deny it via polishing his kunai again.

Which might've been the _exact same kunai_ he pulled out when this whole debacle started.

Who would've thought a roleplay game a la _Cards Against Humanity_ would be a good icebreaker in bringing _Kakashi and Kei together_ to socialize out of all things?

"Ten million ryo, but…" Then Kei trailed off, lowering her hand. _Huh?_ "Um. Well." She put said hand on her chin in thought before shaking her head with a sheepish smile. "Huh. I…I can't think of anything."

Hayate bonked his head backwards into my chest while I found myself wincing with a nervous giggle.

"Then what was all that tension for?!" Hayate whined.

Kei shrugged.

I was trying to think of another scenario to break the ice when I heard it.

" _Tomoko-channnnn? Tomoko-channnnn! Can you come out here?_ "

_Papa._

Hayate immediately crawled out of my lap as I stood up, blinking in the direction of his voice. "Okay, Papa! I'm coming!" It was then really throwing the door open and running out in said direction, and once I had reached the living room, I found my heart stopping in its tracks.

Sakumo-san…no _, Sakumo-jichan_ , was crying again.

Mama, Yatsu-san, an Inuzuka woman that I didn't recognize, and Wataru-jichan were all close by hugging him so that the tears wouldn't be as obvious, but the sobs were there.

Papa and Miyako-bachan were the only ones who weren't in the hug, simply staying close by with their hands in close reach of Sakumo-jichan's shaky ones.

Then Papa looked up at me with warm eyes. "Tomoko-chan, think you could play the last song from yesterday? I think it'll help everybody right now."

I didn't miss the emotion swirling in his eyes when looking at me, and my answer came out naturally. Heck, it left my lips as soon as Kakashi, Kei, and Hayate ran into the room behind me.

There was no space for questions.

"Of course I will."

* * *

Getting everyone into the cafe didn't take that long. Heck, once I found myself at the piano bench, even if it was a weekend, I had an audience.

Papa and Mama were passing out drinks while I could distinctly hear Kei, Kakashi, and Hayate walking nearby. Probably taking the seats closest to the piano, no doubt.

The other adults, I wasn't so sure. Chakra was still a fickle thing, and even with mine fully activated and running through me, I wasn't a sensor like Kei. I couldn't really track others like she could… at least, I think she could do that. Even with my ninshu, I was still a civilian. Instead, it was just my ears and eyes. And from the looks of it, they were all there.

Wataru-jichan, Miyako-bachan, Yatsu-san, Inuzuka-san (I didn't know her first name, so I just went with what I assumed was her surname), and…

Sakumo-jichan.

Even after calming down significantly, he was still shaking from the corner of my eye. And judging by the soft sniffles, it was obvious that he was still upset.

I tried to focus on the piano keys and not let my rage show.

 _What in_ _ **all hell**_ _did the village put him through?_

I breathed in deeply. It wasn't the time to get angry. But just one song?

Sure, _Let's Just Live_ was wonderful, but it didn't seem like enough for the situation.

One minute of music wasn't enough at all.

I had to go all out. Especially for these people.

I know Sakumo-jichan went through a lot. Heck, _canon_ put him through literal hell.

And then there were the other adults. Mama, Papa, Wataru-jichan, Miyako-bachan, Yatsu-san.

I wasn't sure what they had gone through before I came around. But they had all been in this world of ninja longer than Vy had known of said world. They probably saw a lot of darkness in the world, even when being in just Konoha.

What could I play so that it could honor those days? So that I could honor those memories, those times, without disrespecting or invalidating the people right here?

So that even _Kakashi_ could feel safe here?

I closed my eyes, and thought.

Then, it hit me.

"Papa?" I found myself saying.

He looked up from his position of shaking a bottle of cider. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

"Do I _just_ have to play that one song from last night?" I asked, scratching my cheek sheepishly in the hope that the heat traveling up to my cheeks wasn't noticeable. "Since I was actually thinking of playing more than that…"

Papa blinked, put the bottle down, then chuckled. "Go ahead, Tomoko-chan. Play as much as you want. I think everybody would like to hear it."

A hand gently touched my forearm, and I blinked to see Hayate sitting next to me on the piano bench, almost like a callback to when my chakra was first discovered, grinning happily.

"You can do it, Tomoko-nee!" he called out cheerfully.

A shaky breath left my lips as the words sunk in. Then, a smile found its way on my face, and I turned back to the piano keys after squeezing Hayate's hand in return.

_I can do this._

My fingers started playing the first chords. This time, I didn't feel the need to sing. A majority of the audience had already heard the original performance last night. So I hummed the lyrics instead, taking note of how Hayate was leaning his head against my upper arm.

_It used to feel like a fairy tale,_

_Now it seems we were just pretending_

_We'd fix our world, then on our way to a happy ending._

It was a slower version of the original song, but it seemed to fit the mood nonetheless. From the looks of it, everyone else was relaxing too.

_Then it turned out life was far less like a bedtime story_

_Than a tragedy with no big reveal of the hero's glory._

_And it seems we weren't prepared_

_For a game that wasn't fair._

_Do we just go home? Can we follow through? When all hope is gone, there is one thing we can do…_

But I then found myself hitting a wrong note as soon as the cafe doors slammed open. Hayate jumped up alongside me as a few chairs skidded across the tile floor.

"What in all hell—" Papa cursed.

"Um, did we come in at a wrong time?" A new voice started.

I blinked and turned towards the cafe entrance, catching a glimpse of two suited ninja, one with distinctive spiky blue hair and a short build (probably up to Mama's height at least) and the other fairly muscular with black braids trailing down his back.

Wataru-jichan stood up with his arm on the chair behind him so that he wouldn't fall over. "Sho? Kenzan? What is it?"

"Oh, Wataru!" The blue-haired man smiled sheepishly, glancing around before bowing his head. "Sorry for intruding…" Then he met eyes with Papa.

 _Huh?_ I glanced at Hayate, and he shrugged. When I made eye contact with Kei nearby, she did the same thing.

What was going on here?

"…Sho?" Papa said incredulously.

"…Judai-aniki?" The blue-haired man responded back.

The more muscular, black-haired man grinned. "Judai-aniki!" He waved a hand eagerly while walking in. "Long time no see!"

"K-Kenzan, too?!" Papa seemed frozen for only a moment before grinning back. "Yo! It's been a while!"

"A while? Talk about _years!"_ Despite the loud voices, the two ninja seemed happy, running over to tackle Papa in their own hugs. Thankfully, it wasn't enough to send Papa sprawling on the floor, but it was a lot nonetheless. "Where have you been, Aniki? We've missed you!" Kenzan-san seemed to crow.

Mama seemed to not be mind the whole 'reunion' judging by her quiet smile before heading back into the kitchen with her teapot. Tea refills, I guess.

" _Sheesh_ , Aniki, you worried us by going off by yourself!" Sho-san added, hugging Papa a bit tighter. "When we heard that you retired, we wanted to help you! Why didn't you reach out to us?!"

"…Sorry, guys," Papa said quietly, reaching over to lightly pat Sho-san's light blue hair. "But I needed to do things on my own. And I'm okay now."

" _Really_?" Kenzan-san seemed to take on a frown as his voice dropped its cheerfulness for a deadpan that rivaled Kakashi for a second. Then, he moved off Papa to cross his arms, shaking his head in exasperation. "Aniki, you kinda _disappeared_. So hearing that is a bit hard to believe—" And then Kenzan-san met my eyes.

"…Um… hello?" I said slowly, raising a hand from the piano keys. Hayate waved happily at my side, probably having enough cheerfulness for the both of us.

Sho-san got up only to look in my direction too, and his jaw dropped.

"…Now I see why you say ' _you're okay_ ' now, Aniki." Kenzan said slowly.

Papa just looked at me before smiling. "Yep," was all he said in response.

My heart beat hard in my chest.

"Aaaaaaaaaanyways," Wataru-jichan interrupted, raising a hand while still teetering between sitting and standing via leaning on the chair behind him (and Miyako-bachan, who seemed to have the most resigned expression EVER while supporting him). "What did you two come here for? We were…" he motioned to everyone around him, pointing at me at the end. "We were kinda in the middle of a concert-thing, with all the emotion stuff."

"…Oops," Sho-san finished.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Kenzan-san bopped his fist on his hand. "We actually came to talk to you, Wataru-senpai!"

Mr. Gekkō seemed more perplexed than anything, lurching backwards and into Miyako-bachan's arms. " _Me?_ " he said incredulously. "Why _me_?"

"Uhhhhh…." Kenzan-san paused, immediately looping an arm around Sho-san's shorter shoulders. With a fast, " _Just a second!"_ , he turned the shorter man around so that their backs were facing us instead. What commenced was a series of rapid-fire whispering, making the two men appear to be in their own world.

All I could make out from my position at the stage (which, mind you, was kinda far away from their positions in the sitting area) was the following:

" _What are we supposed to do?!"_

" _I don't know, I didn't even_ _ **know**_ _Aniki got married or had a daughter!"_

" _We can't just blurt this out when they're all here!"_

Oh dear.

Kakashi let out a deep sigh. The sound made it obvious that he was rolling his eyes.

Kei facepalmed.

Yatsu-san and Inuzuka-san just shrugged simultaneously.

And then the two newcomers turned around with sheepish smiles. "…Um…Wataru-san, Miyako-san, Aniki, and uh…all the other adults here," Kenzan-san threw his hands in the air while sweating, his face crossed between panicked frustration and polite exasperation. "Could you all come outside the cafe for a moment? We kinda have a _huge_ announcement?"

"… _Wonderful,"_ Yatsu-san deadpanned.

" _Lovely_ idea, indeed," Miyako-bachan added dryly, when her tone _clearly_ said otherwise.

"…Should I come too?" Sakumo-jichan interrupted with a shaky hand raised.

Sho-san and Kenzan-san turned to look at the White Fang, and I didn't miss how their eyes softened with clear sympathy. "…If you want to, Sakumo-senpai," Kenzan-san said finally after a pause. Even with the tension, I couldn't help the small internal sigh of relief at how he wasn't adding to the situation with any open discrimination. Whew. "It is pretty dark news though, and…well, after everything you've seen, I don't know if it's the best…"

Kakashi glanced at Sakumo-jichan with clearly worried eyes. "Dad…?"

The White Fang finally looked up at his son, and I didn't miss the semblance of strength in those weary silver eyes when meeting my friend's gaze. "It's okay, Kakashi."

For some reason, my heart didn't believe those words one bit. And yet I found myself frozen as Sakumo-jichan stood up from his chair, his shoulders straighter than I had ever seen him in a while. "Let's go then, Sho-kun, Kenzan-kun. Explain away."

Sho-san and Kenzan-san shared a glance before sighing. "Alright then," Sho started, tilting the bridge of his glasses up so that they wouldn't droop down his nose. "Sakumo-san, Aniki, and everybody _except_ the kids," —And I was sure he glanced in my direction, glasses glinting in the sunlight— "Head outside. We have a lot to talk about."

And the adults all filed out of the cafe pretty quickly. At least, before Mama stopped by all the mentioned 'kids' with warm mugs of hot chocolate. She gave me mine last, winking before heading out and closing the large red doors behind her.

Another pause graced us in the wake of everyone else leaving.

"So," Kei started quietly, glancing at her own mug. "What should we do now?"

I took an experimental sip of mine, only to wince at the heat of the drink burning my tongue. Yeowch. "Well," I said, attempting to cover my mess-up. "I could play another song just for our group while waiting?"

"Or we could continue the _Ten Million Ryo, But_ game!" Hayate cheered, fist pumping with one hand while holding his cup with the other.

Kakashi shrugged.

I blinked before blowing at my hot chocolate this time. "Okay then, Hayate," I started, smiling. "How about you start us off? _Ten Million Ryo, But._ "

If I ever get back to Vy's world with Kei, I'm going to RoosterTeeth to tell them 'thank you' for creating the original _Million Dollars, But_ game. It was hilarious how we had started a Japanese, _kid-friendly_ version. And it was all thanks to their English, _adult_ version.

"Ten Million Ryo!" Hayate cheered, raising his cup like it was a toast or something. "Buuuuut, _no candy for the rest of your life!"_ Even if it was a simple statement, the boy looked proud of himself for saying it, giving a challenging glance towards the others in the room, myself included.

"Okay," Kakashi said immediately.

Hayate and Kei's jaws dropped simultaneously as they glanced in the masked ninja's direction. Kakashi wasn't even fazed, his cup magically half-empty afterwards.

"…And yet you're chugging that hot chocolate like it's nothing, friend," I said dryly, looking in Kakashi's direction.

"…" He stayed silent. Whatever he was thinking, I had no idea. I probably didn't want to know either.

Maybe something like, _Does it hurt to use words that big?_

… _Naaaah._

Kei in the meantime frowned, gripping her mug of hot chocolate a bit tighter. "I have a distinguished palate."

_Huh. So that's another no._

"…Oooooookay," I started, taking a small sip of my hot chocolate again. "So I know I'm not taking that. Kei and Hayate aren't either. Is Kakashi the only taker? It's _ten million ryo_ in exchange for _no candy_ for the rest of your life."

Kakashi simply nodded while the rest of his hot chocolate disappeared from his mug.

This guy must _really_ hate sweets.

Hayate was still gaping before jumping up from his seat next to me to run over to Kei, leaving his hot chocolate behind on the piano bench to hug her. "…How can someone _not_ like candy?" was his mutter.

"There, there, Haa-chan," Kei said, using her free hand to pat his head. "There, there."

Kakashi scoffed. I tried not to sweatdrop.

"Anyways," I interrupted quietly, raising a hand. "I guess I'll go next then?"

Hayate immediately perked up. I found myself giggling from the sight alone, because it was obvious that the spark of excitement was rekindled in the boy. "Okay then," I tried not to hum and keep a serious face. "Ten million ryo, _buuuut_ for the rest of your life, whenever you _sneeze,_ you teleport to some random place around the world."

Another long pause followed.

… _Hey,_ I couldn't think of anything else! And it was a good joke in the original show!

" _No,"_ Kakashi said flatly. "That would be way too inconvenient."

"So, wait," Kei interrupted. "Would we have any control over where we go? Or is it _completely_ random?"

"It's _completely_ random," I finished.

She blanched as soon as Hayate started cheering. If I didn't know any better, it was as if the boy was experiencing an early birthday.

"I think I'll take it!" Hayate beamed shortly afterwards.

" _What?_ " Kei's jaw could've hit the floor from those words alone. And with her white face, she was doing a very good impression of a frozen mime. Not that I could blame her, since I knew I wouldn't take that offer either. "Haa-chan, you'll be going _everywhere!_ How would you come home?"

"You'll find me, Sis! You always do!" He said innocently, still grinning.

_Oh dear. That's…I don't know._

"Welp, I'm not taking that," I interrupted dryly via raising my mug of cocoa. "Moving on to the next person?"

"Please do, Tomoko-chan," Kei deadpanned. "Because I know I'm not taking that either."

"Oooookay," I settled for finally, scratching my cheek sheepishly. _So that's ten million ryo in Hayate's case this time…kinda bad idea. Considering his canon self, random destinations seem to be the_ _ **least**_ _of Kei's worries._ "So who's next?"

"Me," Kakashi said tonelessly. "So anything can apply?"

"Anything can apply…" I found myself trailing off while glancing in his direction. "Just nothing 18+ and over, Kakashi."

"…Who do you think I am and _why_ would I suggest something like that?" he replied, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

I raised a hand to count off fingers. "Well, you're a Chunin, you seem to act superior to everyone else in the room, you don't really like being in the presence of other people your age aside from me at this point, and…hm," I tried not to roll my eyes in exchange for a small smile. "You do seem to have your nose in a book or on a kunai more than on others in social interactions."

"… _Haha_ , very funny," he said. "I'm _thrilled_ to hear your opinion of me."

"To be fair, Kakashi, it's more of a _statement_ than an opinion." I replied, quietly sipping my hot cocoa while doing so.

"You get my point," he sniped back while putting his empty mug to the side. "So, are we doing this game or not?"

I hid another giggle into my mug of cocoa. "Go ahead, friend, go ahead." I didn't miss how Kei and Hayate were giggling too.

Kakashi sighed. "Hm. Ten million ryo, _but_." And apparently he found the need to pause for dramatic effect. And he said _I_ was a kid. "For the rest of your life, you have to wear a mask."

Another pause followed.

"Doesn't that mean you're off the hook?" Kei deadpanned.

Kakashi shrugged. "I'll take it."

_Of course you would. Troll._

Hayate raised a hand while running back to me to grab his hot chocolate. "So wait, Kakashi-nii, can we _take off_ the mask for eating food or brushing our teeth or something? Or do we have to wear it _forever?_ "

Kakashi shrugged again. I found myself blanching with a sigh as Hayate squeaked. "Kakashi, be more specific," was what left me as I pulled Hayate close for a side-hug. "Please?"

He sighed for what might've been the millionth time.

This kind of game continued for a while. We each took turns at posing different scenarios, and to be honest, I kinda lost track of time. The adults were out there for so long, it was easy to lose track of it. The hot chocolate slowly disappeared with each scenario, and by the time it was Kei's turn for the third round, we were all a bit out of it.

Heck, Hayate was leaning against me on the piano bench, clearly half-asleep, when his sister sighed. "Okay, ten million ryo is a _lotta_ money." Kei raised a finger in the air while rolling her eyes. "But there's a—"

And then the cafe doors opened.

Specifically, _creaked_ open.

"…Finally," Kakashi muttered. "A break."

On the other hand, I was wondering what happened. Strangely, no one really tried to walk through the doors, and instead, I heard Sakumo-jichan's voice float through the main crack in the entrance. "…Kakashi? Kakashi, could you come out here?"

The Chunin blinked, glanced at me, and I shrugged in response.

What else was I supposed to do or say? I couldn't see the adults from the stage's vantage point, and it seemed to be a private thing.

Kakashi exhaled slowly before jumping off his chair. He then lightly dropped off his empty mug in the sink at the bar area before heading outside and past those same creaking doors.

Those doors ended up closing with a quiet and foreboding _Click_ behind him.

I gulped before glancing at Kei. She returned my gaze with somewhat freaked eyes as well, caught between shrugging and shaking her head.

"Wish I knew what was going on," she said shortly, keeping her voice to a minimum for the sake of not waking Hayate, who had finally given into taking a nap against my shoulder. "Everyone's chakra outside is really chaotic right now. Like…like…" Kei trailed off.

And I was sure the same light bulbs went off in our heads with a flash.

"… _The Third Shinobi World War_ …" I breathed.

Hayate innocently kept snoring away against my shoulder.

"… _Fuck,_ " Kei said simply. "We knew this was coming, but that doesn't make it—"

"That doesn't make it any less scary when we're _living_ in it." I finished slowly.

And then the doors opened again, with the adults all slowly filing back into the cafe. Judging by their dark faces, it said more than enough. Papa was even _frowning_ , which was telling enough as is.

I tried not to stand up like my first instinct told me to for the sake of letting Hayate nap and instead turned to glance in his direction. "…Papa?"

He looked up at me, brown eyes wide with surprise, before they morphed into something… solemn. Quiet. Papa was usually this cheerful person, so when he was looking like _this_ … this… _haunted_ shell of a person, I knew I didn't like it.

"Hi, Tomoko-chan," he said quietly. I didn't miss how Mama was silently standing beside him, laying a hand on his arm. "Sorry about the concert interruption. You can start again…if you want."

I glanced over at the other adults.

Sakumo-jichan was tense again, but judging by the tight grip on his right hand from Kakashi, he seemed to be alright. Yatsu-san and Inuzuka-san were actively supporting one another, hugging each other quietly before taking seats together. Wataru-jichan, on the other hand, was almost wobbly from my angle, leaning on Miyako-bachan who had intertwined her fingers with his.

Everyone had someone, but that didn't mean the quiet tension had gone away.

Sho-san and Kenzan-san were already gone, probably because their message was already delivered.

Hayate was still snoring away.

I glanced at Kei again. She just motioned with her fingers, miming… _piano playing?_

…Oh. Right. I didn't finish.

And in this time, we needed a bit of _sprinkled_ _light._ Especially since Mama, literally _light's namesake_ with her name _Hikari_ , was down too.

I turned back to the keys, took a breath, and pressed the first chords, humming the lyrics.

_Light_

_A song like a dream_

_Wets your cheek._

_The soft sky,_

_Going into the distance,_

_With just one little heart,_

_With still trembling wings._

The quiet tension was starting to ebb away. Nearby, I could feel Hayate shift with a soft groan.

With a stronger smile, I kept playing.

_To tomorrow,_

_To a nostalgic yesterday,_

_A small promise bound by our fingers_

_Will be fulfilled_

_To the end of time._

_The day I get to see you, my heart_

_Is full of nothing but that wish_

_Until a distant future._

_Because even if I end up nowhere,_

_Within the light that illuminates all,_

_I'll always be by your side._

The atmosphere seemed to be getting warmer with each piano key. Even if my eyes were closed to focus on the music alone, I couldn't miss my heart growing warmer along with each note.

It was as if I just had a full gallon of Mama's hot chocolate.

It quickly made sense as to why I felt that way since we were getting close to the climax.

_All too fleeting,_

_A world that seems like it'll disappear._

_But just knowing you're here_

_Makes me want to protect it._

_I close my eyes in silent prayer_

_And soon it reaches the final_

_Peace, so_

_The morning brightens._

It was time for the finale. I kept playing.

_Light,_

_A song like a dream,_

_Illuminates you..._

The last note faded into the winter air, and I opened my eyes to look around and nearly jumped at the sound of applause.

Quiet yet telling applause.

Huh?

No matter where I looked, no one was standing still. Either they were standing tall with smiles on their faces, examples being Kei and Hayate (who had chosen the time to wake up and hug me from the side after his initial bout of clapping); or were sitting down, their eyes saying more than their actions.

Examples of the latter were Mama, Yatsu-san, Inuzuka-san, and…

Sakumo-jichan.

He wasn't smiling initially. If anything, it looked like he was on the verge of tears again. But Kakashi was still sitting next to him, actually leaning in so that his head would rest on his father's shoulder, and it seemed to say enough.

' _But time will mend our hearts,' huh?_

I just put on my best smile and nodded in everyone's directions before making eye contact with Papa.

His brown eyes were swirling with some emotion I couldn't recognize, but the most I could make out was a simple phrase.

_Thank you._

Before putting the piano cover back down, I glanced at Kei again. She didn't need to say anything, her determination showing enough in her black eyes.

We had a lot of work to do.

Especially if we wanted a better future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yep. Lots of Sakumo focus. One of the things that really pissed me off when it comes to canon Naruto was how little was explored on Sakumo's end. How much did the village really hate him? Shouldn't he have had friends to help out? So it was that rage in mind that I was able to do all this.
> 
> Once again, a warm thanks to Lang since she read through a lot of the early drafts of this when I was just wondering what in all heck I was doing. Especially since I need to get out Chapter 43 of Civilian Pianist ASAP.
> 
> Oh, and pairings? That's spoiler-filled territory. Can't divulge anything yet. Just wait 'till it happens. Right now, our main heroines are still eight years old. A little too early to think about romance. :)
> 
> Nonetheless, this is "T," aka Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to work on Chapter 43 of CP - aka Kannabi! Hope to see you there!


	11. Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her parents belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is NateWantsToBattle's cover of Re:Re:, originally sung by Asian Kung Fu Generation, from Erased. An alternative version is the softer and slower piano cover done by Theishter on YouTube. The original song was a casual recommendation from Lang herself, and I found the tone fit the mood I wanted to convey here.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 11: Graduation_

War was never an easy subject to break to anyone.

For Gekkō Wataru, he was just wondering if it was going to get _worse_.

All he wanted was to get home early and spend time with his kids, and in a way, he did get that.

Heck, the neon green cast that was on his leg, signed lovingly by his _kids_ in absolutely adorable child scrawl said a lot already.

But for that time to be _rudely_ interrupted with what could be the _worst_ announcement in existence?

If not for Sho and Kenzan's downtrodden faces, Wataru would've been tempted to punch them both for their bad timing.

The crutches didn't help, though. Sakumo and Hikari-chan's faces just made the feeling worse.

This was bad. Really bad.

Once he had stumbled back home with his family, words left him too. He found himself hobbling over to a chair to sit down and think while Miyako took it upon herself to tell the kids in another room.

It felt like a time where he should put on a strong front. Heck, a cheery smile would've been fine so that the kids wouldn't be depressed like he currently was.

But he was still a ninja. He was still a soldier.

And soldiers always knew that they would be deployed again one day.

It just felt so sudden. It should've been a good day.

Instead, everything just seemed to be haunting him.

The border post, his broken leg, and…

Wataru gulped.

_Honda. He…He didn't make it out, did he?_

He was a good man, Hiroto Honda. And…And he had a girlfriend.

Wataru never personally met the girl in question, but in the time he had known Honda since becoming a parent, the man constantly gushed about the woman, showing off pictures and even sounding like a _monkey_ with how much he prattled about the ever lovely Shizuka.

And yet he was gone. Just like that.

How would Shizuka feel? Heck, how would he break it to her?

Had someone even _told_ her like Sho and Kenzan did him? Who would be there for her?

He didn't know. Hell, he didn't even know about _himself._

Wataru facepalmed softly, letting his fingers dig into his forehead. A sigh involuntarily left him.

What was he supposed to _do_ now? He was going to fight again, but…

He shook his head, trying to find something else to focus on.

Then a hand landed on top of his, the touch soft but recognizable.

Wataru looked up only to see Miyako stare at him with soft eyes.

All he found himself saying was a shaky, "M-Miyako…"

The woman then gently situated herself in the seat next to him while never letting go of his hand, instead intertwining their fingers and leaning against his shoulder. Wataru found himself frozen.

_It's only been a few days, but how long has it been since…?_

A few moments of silence passed.

"Don't blame yourself for living when they did not." Miyako murmured softly.

 _She…_ Wataru found himself exhaling shakily in an attempt to hold back tears. "Miyako, I… You already know about that."

"All too well," she replied quietly. Then her hands extended past his to wrap around him in a warm hug. Due to their height difference, he couldn't see her face, but her words said more than enough. "It is not all right now, Wataru. It is fine to be hurt, to be upset. But never think you should have joined them."

She was right. Miyako always was. The tears were already disappearing. Wataru took in a deep breath while reaching over to hug her back. "…Thank you, Miyako-chan. Really."

The swordswoman hummed softly before snuggling him. "Take as much time as you need. We will be here for you."

_That's right. I'm not…_

Kitano Town was long behind him. He was a Konoha ninja now. And…

_I'm not alone anymore._

The first hints of a smile were already breaking out on his face. "Where's Kei-chan and Hayate, Miyako?"

If the woman noticed the topic change, she didn't seem to mind it much judging by her tone of voice. "Training in the dojo. Apparently Hikari-chan's hot chocolate gave Hayate a lot more energy to spar with his sister."

Wataru scoffed before grabbing his crutches with his free hand.

_It's not the time to sulk. I have a job to do._

Standing up while never letting go, Wataru looked down at his wife with a large grin. "Let's go check on them?"

Miyako met his eyes with an inclined head before nodding, getting up from her chair as well. "Alright then."

* * *

When the next weekend turned over, Wataru once again found himself in front of the large red doors of Nagareboshi Cafe with his family. By now, the weekly family-friend meet-up with the Hoshino Family was a norm. And even with the snow falling on them, Hayate was excited enough, bouncing up and down on his feet near Miyako. Kei-chan, on the other hand, looked sleepy, but her lopsided grin was sufficient as is.

Wataru glanced up at the light neon Nagareboshi Cafe sign before reaching over to blink.

"Huh," he said.

"What is it, Wataru?" Miyako looked over his shoulder, blinking.

"They finally installed a doorbell," Wataru said, pointing to the object in question. And sure enough, a small button big enough for a finger to press was right next to the middle door latch on the right door, pale yellow making it stand out from the bright red nearby. Shrugging, he pressed it.

A soft ringing reminiscent of a tinkling bell ran through the air afterwards.

"COMING!" A loud voice answered.

Wataru had half the urge to laugh. "Judai's still perky as ever, apparently."

"It's Judai-jichan, Dad," Kei deadpanned. "Of course he'd be perky. Tomoko-chan should've gotten it from _someone._ "

"Fair enough," he responded, reaching over to ruffle the girl's hair with a grin.

Before Kei could respond, the door then slammed open. Wataru wasn't even surprised to see his old friend puffing at the entrance, grinning like it was his birthday. "Heeeeeeyyy! Good to see you guys!" Judai crowed with glee, immediately taking a step back to let them in. "Come on! We have to start this friendly reunion sooner or later!"

Wataru just glanced at Miyako before laughing. "Alright, alright, we're coming in!"

"Yeah, let's do this!" Hayate beamed in return.

Kei just sighed, exasperated smile on her face.

* * *

When Gekkō Miyako walked through the back entrance leading into the Hoshino home, the last thing she was expecting was Hatake Sakumo sitting at the nearby patio outside, slumped like a dead man against a pillar.

He would've been a dead man in her mind if not for his tense shoulders and occasional movements that signified his breathing. Not to mention one Hoshino Hikari keeping him company via resting her head on his shoulder not occupied by the pillar, her figure relaxed in stark contrast.

If not for her ninja training, Miyako would have barely heard the soft humming coming from the civilian woman in Sakumo's direction.

"…Um," Wataru started intelligently, having just noticed the scene from over her shoulder. "Judai? What is Sakumo-senpai doing here?"

"Hm?" Judai blinked before glancing in the same direction Miyako was looking at. "Oh, Sakumo's sulking again. Great."

Miyako was honestly wondering how Judai wasn't even fazed. Instead, she stared at him.

Judai noticed her look and smiled. "After everything a week ago, Sakumo and Kakashi somehow agreed to stay with us to avoid a lot of the flak that came with the…" —the retired nin then used air quotes while rolling his eyes— "Well, the old 'White Fang' title. Apparently it's still somewhat of a shock to the guy that we're still so okay with him." Miyako didn't miss how Judai shrugged helplessly before raising a hand to his mouth.

_Oh dear._

Wataru covered Kei and Hayate's ears with his hands as soon as Miyako gave the signal.

Judai opened his mouth.

" _TOMOKO-CHANNNNNN! Kei and the others are here!"_

Even with the covers, Miyako didn't miss how both her children winced from the volume alone. Thankfully, the sound lasted for a mere moment before she could focus on the surroundings again, and from the looks of it…

"Kei-chan?" was the soft, _high-pitched_ reply. Then Miyako had to hide a smile at the small black head of hair poking out from the nearby hallway, blue eyes then widening at the sight of them. Her chakra clearly jumped in happiness along with it, warming the air almost immediately.

"Kei-chan! Hayate! Wataru-jichan! Miyako-bachan!" Tomoko proceeded to squeal happily.

"Tomoko-chan!" Wataru echoed back, large grin on his face.

"Tomoko!" Hayate said immediately afterwards.

If Miyako didn't know any better, it was as if sparkles started floating around the girl.

Nonetheless, Tomoko jumped out from the hallway to run in their direction, beaming like any other girl her age would, happy and innocent. "Hello~!" she hummed cheerily, her arms unsurprisingly going around Kei first in a hug.

"Hello," Kei said in return, sounding a lot more awake than before as she hugged back. "Who put sparkles in your drink this time?"

"Nobody but myself, Kei, why?" Tomoko replied obliviously, letting go to look up at her friend with confusion.

Kei snorted before poking the girl's forehead. "No reason, Tomoko. No reason."

"…What is it with you guys and my head?" Tomoko deadpanned before sighing. Then a smile came over her face again as she looked down. "And hello, Hayate~!"

"Hi Tomoko-nee!" Hayate beamed in return, already expecting a hug judging by his open arms.

The pianist grinned wider before reaching over to hug the boy tightly, a hand threading itself in his hair. "Oh, Hayate! I will never get tired of hugging you~" she promptly hummed. "Never grow up, okay?"

Miyako had to hide a snort as Wataru started chuckling.

"Neh, Tomoko-chan, where's _my_ hug?" Wataru then choked out in-between laughter.

Tomoko then blinked, looking up from her current position of snuggling Hayate with confusion. "…Oh, oops," she said simply before tentatively untangling herself from the boy. Then the girl walked over to hug Wataru as he asked, burying her pink face in the taller man's chest. "Sorry, Wataru-jichan," she muttered shyly.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Wataru proceeded to pat the girl's head with the hand that wasn't holding onto his crutches, grinning. "Just ignore the injured guy, that's fine."

"I-I'm not going to ignore youuuuu!" Tomoko whined in return, tightening the hug as her ears started to turn pink. "It's just…Kei-chan and Hayate were the first ones I saw, sooooo…" The girl then proceeded to bury herself into Wataru's shirt even more, her words rendered to mere mumbling as her ears finally turned red.

"Wataru, I think that's enough teasing for now," Miyako interrupted with a smile. She didn't miss how Kei and Hayate were quietly snickering by her side. "And I would like a hug too."

If Tomoko wasn't steaming beforehand, she surely was now with how red her face was. If not for her black hair, the girl could've easily passed off as a tomato. "I-I'm sorry, Miyako-bachan!" With that squeak left in the air, the pianist then promptly jumped over to hug Miyako in turn, and Miyako hid another chuckle as she rested a hand on the girl's head.

"It is good to see you too, Tomoko-chan," she said quietly. "Has everything been okay with you in the past week?"

"…!" The pianist finally started returning to a lighter skin color as she looked up at Miyako with a shrug and confused blue eyes. "Kinda? I think? Sakumo-jichan has been recovering slowly, and Kakashi went out on a mission with Minato-san a few days ago, so it's just been quiet…" She then trailed off, letting go of Miyako to put a hand on her chin to think. "But what _have_ I done this past week…?"

"Tomoko, I think you're overthinking it," Kei deadpanned.

Judai, who had yet to speak this entire time, was now hiding obvious laughter. "Tomoko-chan, how about you go with Kei and Hayate to play that _Ten Million Ryo, But_ game or something? I'm going to need to talk to Miyako and Wataru anyways."

_Hm?_

Miyako looked up at the mushroom-headed man, only for Judai to wink at her.

Even if it was in good nature, the swordsman did not have a good feeling about it.

Nonetheless, Tomoko took the distraction with a brighter smile, blinking. "Okay, Papa!" And then she proceeded to grab Hayate's hand in her left and Kei's in her right before marching off. Miyako had to hold back even more laughter at the sight of the little parade the pianist started. "Call me if you need anything, Papa!" Tomoko called over her shoulder.

"Got it, sweetie!" Judai replied, waving in her direction with a happy grin in return.

"Yay! We're playing _Ten Million Ryo, But_ again!" Hayate cheered after her.

"…Yay…" Kei deadpanned, just allowing herself to be dragged along with a shrug and a small smile.

And with all that said, the three quickly disappeared back into the hallway where Tomoko originally popped up from.

Judai then sighed while lowering his hand. "Well, the kids being out of the picture means things are getting serious again, and I _hate_ being serious."

Wataru gulped, gripping his crutches a bit tighter. "…Something serious go on again?"

Judai walked over to the living room table to pull out some chairs. "Sit, then we talk," he said flatly.

Yep. Miyako's bad feeling felt very much justified now. She made sure to tread quietly, walking over to the offered chair to sit down while offering a hand for Wataru to take in case of his needing help. Thankfully, her husband wasn't as clumsy as he could've been, easily hopping over on his crutches before gracefully taking the seat on her right side.

Judai, on the other hand, seemed much more tired now, taking his seat across from the duo with more lethargic movements. Once he had sat down, he put a hand to his face with a sigh.

Then, he spoke. "Wataru, Miyako, are you two doing alright?"

Out of all the things Miyako could've anticipated, she wasn't expecting that. Instead of a proper reply, she found herself opening her mouth, only to find silence.

Wataru blinked and answered for her. "What do you mean by that, man?"

"Oh for the love of—" Judai facepalmed a bit hard, shaking his head with a tired smile. "Even if it's been a few years, you're _still_ a dork."

"Hey!" Wataru protested loudly.

Miyako snorted.

"Anyways," Judai interrupted, removing his hand from his face. "I actually asked that first question _not_ because I'm a married-couple-therapist," — he then coughed into his hand, muttering something that suspiciously sounded like ' _Even though Hikari says otherwise,_ ' — "But because we all know war is starting. And…" Judai then trailed off, averting his eyes specifically from Wataru. Miyako's bad feeling only increased.

"…What? Why are you not looking at me?" Wataru then demanded.

Judai then glanced at Miyako. "Do I have to?"

"You started it, Judai," she answered flatly in return.

Judai groaned. "I can't believe you…"

Miyako just gave him a flat stare in response. As expected, Judai clammed up with a cough. "Okay, okay, I'll talk. Just stop staring like that."

Judai then sighed again, sitting up straight while doing so. He turned to Wataru with clear worry in his brown eyes. "Wataru, are you going to be okay heading out on missions again?"

Wataru flinched. "Wait, what?"

"Your leg won't be broken forever, y'know," Judai responded flatly. "And knowing the guy that's at the front of our village, you'll be needed out there again. I wanted to ask if you were going to be okay with that."

A long pause followed. Wataru for once was silent, and simply hung his head. For such a cheerful ninja, it was telling when no signs of a smile were on his face. His answer too, was quiet and foreboding. "…I don't really have a choice, do I? They'll need me out there."

Miyako stayed silent, folding her hands into her lap.

Judai sighed again, his shoulders seemingly heavier than before. Apparently her husband's answer wasn't really what the retired nin liked to hear. "But that's the thing. You _do_ have a choice, Wataru. Especially when it comes to raising your family."

Miyako was now getting the feeling that this was a talk between Wataru and Judai alone. Nonetheless, she stayed in her chair, glancing between the two with an observant eye.

Talks like these always needed a mediator, after all.

Each passing second made it out to be a better decision in her mind because Wataru hesitated yet again, his bangs shading his eyes. "The thing is…Wouldn't it be best to end this war as soon as possible? I don't want Kei or Hayate to end up doing what I had to do."

Miyako reached over to touch Wataru's hand. He met her eyes for only a moment, but the sheer relief in his gaze said enough.

Another pause followed.

Judai glanced to the side soon after noticing the scene she and Wataru were making. If his silence and shaky chakra were anything to go by, he clearly did not want to speak up again. Nonetheless, his mouth opened anyways. "…That is a good point," he said finally. "I guess…what I'm trying to say here is," Judai gulped, clearly biting the inside of his cheek for a second to find the right words. "What do _you_ feel is better? Fighting out there on the _slight_ possibility of ending the war sooner, only to risk your life and die, making Kei and Hayate head out there anyway? Or supporting them as much as you can so that they don't have to do what you had to?"

Miyako knew that the last question struck a nerve in Wataru. Even with her presence, she could feel his chakra fluctuate in clear frustration and anger before he looked up. What hurt the most, though, was watching her husband look up at Judai with the most confused, angry, and tearful eyes she had ever seen him have. "I don't _know_ , okay?!" Wataru finally snapped, nearly banging his other hand into the table as Judai jumped. "I just don't _know!_ Hell, I'm just a chunin who makes bombs because he can't do anything else! Half a dozen people I know off the top of my head would be worth more to the war effort, but I can't—" He then hung his head, voice becoming quieter. "I can't…I can't do _anything_ …"

Miyako immediately squeezed Wataru's hand with as much warmth as she could muster. Even if she couldn't see his face from his new slumped position, the fact that his chakra jumped slightly from relief was enough for her.

On the other hand, when focusing on Judai's chakra, it was obvious that the older man was conflicted. His chakra, normally energetic and lively, was now rolling around in his coils as though it had been _slapped_ , and Miyako couldn't fault him for it. Glancing up at him solidified her judgement on the matter because Judai's expression portrayed clear surprise, shock, and most important of all, regret and remorse. "…Oh…" he said simply.

' _Oh,'_ _may be an understatement, old friend._ Miyako thought.

Then, Judai slumped back in his own chair with yet another sigh. "…Wataru, you know that's not true. Your belief that you're not able to do anything, I mean." He then shook his head fiercely, looking up with resolute eyes. "You're not just a bomb-making chunin. You're a _dad_. A father who has the shared responsibility with his wife to take care of his kids. And as a fellow dad, it's important to remember what your kids want too. And how they feel about you. That's what I'm trying to say." He then hung his head again, his body language saying it all as the light faded from his eyes. "…I'm sorry for pushing you like that. It's just…" Judai sighed again, more shakily this time. If Miyako didn't know any better, it was as if the older man was close to _tears._ "I'm tired of seeing people sacrifice themselves thinking that they're not worth it. I'm tired of seeing people die without knowing how much others cared for them."

Judai looked up one more time, and Miyako lurched back at the amount of pure _emotion_ rolling through those brown eyes.

It was quickly becoming obvious _where_ Tomoko-chan's emotion-filled chakra came from.

Not just tears—Judai looked like he was going to break down any moment now. "I'm tired of seeing you beat yourself up when I know you've come a long way from the clumsy guy I first met."

Wataru looked up too, only to make eye contact and go silent. Aside from a soft, surprised grunt of recognition, the two men simply stared at one another for a few seconds that felt longer than eternity.

Then, Wataru looked down at the shape of his silhouette reflected in the table, gripping Miyako's hand tightly. "…I don't know what I'll do when the Hokage calls. I really…I just…" He then shook his head again, voice solemn. "Kei's…she's always wanted to protect. Miyako taught her that, before everything. Before even what—I would have told her to be a child first, but she never seemed interested. She just wants to be the one everyone can rely on. Hayate's too young to know what he wants. And I…" Wataru slumped in his chair, his crutches slipping across the tiled floor with him. "I don't want my life for them. I want them to have _better_ lives than I did. But I don't know how to make it happen. Doubt I ever knew…"

_Wataru…_

Miyako wordlessly leaned against his shoulder. He twitched before resting his cheek on her hair.

Another silence followed.

Judai looked between them before lightly drumming his fingers against the table, bare hints of a sad smile on his face. "…Well, I think all parents deal with that. Or everyone in general at one point. Not knowing what to do, I mean. And that's the scary part." The last thing Miyako was expecting was for Judai to laugh.

But this laugh wasn't one of his usual happy ones.

This specific laugh was shaky, nervous, and most importantly— _scared._ "Ironic, huh? We're _ninja_ , supposed to 'look at the underneath the underneath', but even the Hokage forgets that we're _human_." Judai then reached over the table to lightly pat Wataru's free hand, hints of a real smile on his face.

"It's okay to be unsure. To doubt, y'know. Heck, even with me…" Judai trailed off as soon as Wataru looked up at him, slumping back in his seat with a lopsided smile that wasn't reaching his eyes. "Tomoko-chan's… _heh_. Tomoko-chan's always wanted to help people. I'm not sure if it was me or even Hikari who taught that to her, but she's always wanted to be the person everyone could fall back on. The person everyone could go for a helping hand. It's okay, at first, but then the worries eat at me." Judai laughed again, the sound even drier than before. "What if she forgets about herself? What if she sacrifices herself like _Johan_ did…and then it scares me." He shook his head. "It freakin' _scares_ me, and I'm not sure how I can address it, so I get the feeling of being unsure."

He then took a deep breath, looking up at Wataru and Miyako with resolute eyes. "But what matters here is how _you_ want to move forward, Wataru. I can tell you love your family just as much as I do mine. What matters now is looking at what you can do and how you can help them. And I think I have a few ideas. It's just taking it one day at a time. _Move onward, not there yet, let's just live._ "

Wataru's eyes widened before he hung his head again, bangs shading his face.

The last sentence was something that wasn't lost on anyone in the room.

Miyako squeezed his hand again before looking up at Judai. "…What ideas do you have?" she started quietly.

Judai grinned again, a bit brighter this time before standing up. "Seals aren't just for explosions, y'know. And I do know a guy who might need some seal work to be done for the next few years."

* * *

The last thing Wataru was expecting in terms of Judai's ideas was to be standing in front of some random store, looking up at the large sign as his old friend knocked on the door.

"' _Cook's Ninja Tools and Crafts_?'" Miyako recited quietly from said large sign hanging above the door, before glancing between him and Judai with a raised eyebrow. "Judai, did you just take us to a—"

"An old friend's blacksmith and crafts shop, yes." Judai deadpanned, knocking one more time on said marble-colored entrance before taking a step back. "He retired around the same time, if not a little later than me. So his shop is a bit newer than the cafe."

_CREAK._

With that sound left in the air, the doorknob jiggled before opening up, revealing a spiky black head of hair Wataru pegged as familiar…

"Yes, who is it— _Judai_?" The newcomer said gruffly in surprise.

"In the flesh, Jim." Judai grinned happily, waving a hand. "It's good to see you again. Do you have some time to spare?"

"Considering no one else is in the shop with me, yes!" Jim answered, glee filling his voice. He then fully stepped out past the door, and the lightbulb went off in Wataru's head almost immediately. "It's been a long time, Leader."

"It has, it has," Judai nodded his head before blinking. He then took a step back, shaking his head almost comically. "And don't call me _Leader_ , Jim! We've always been equals!"

Jim threw his head back and laughed.

A black eye patch over his right eye, leaving the left to shine in a dark blue color. Spiky black hair, sticking out in three specific points on each side of his head. Along with his orange scarf, brown vest, and black cargo pants, it was obvious who had just greeted them at the door.

"…Jim?" Wataru gaped. "Jim Crocodile Cook?"

A pause followed as the somewhat taller man turned in his direction. Then the same dark blue eye widened. "Wataru? Gekkō Wataru?"

A smile broke out on his face almost immediately. "Jim! Hey!"

"Wow! Is this becoming a friendly reunion?!" Jim almost crowed before walking over to take Wataru's offered hand, shaking it happily. "It's been a while, my friend!"

"Definitely! I didn't know you retired!" Wataru yelled back, nodding eagerly. "So this is where you've been?! You definitely look better than the last time I've seen you!"

"Considering retirement, I would say 'yes.'" Jim smiled brighter this time, and even with his towering height, Wataru knew that his old friend was doing just fine. "It's good to see you again."

"It is," Wataru let his hand go to then wrap an arm around Miyako's shoulders. "I'm not sure if you met my wife—"

"Miyako. Gekkō Miyako." Miyako said quietly, bowing her head. "It is nice to meet you, Jim-san."

Jim blinked the same blue eye before nodding back, bowing his head in her direction. "It's nice to meet you too, Miyako-san." Even when doing such a stiff movement, Wataru couldn't miss the bright smile on his face. "Well, I'm guessing you two are here for a reason _other_ than shopping, right?"

"Yep," Judai interrupted with a raised hand, smiling a bit more sheepishly. "Think we could come in, Jim? Then we can explain."

All they got in return was a raised eyebrow before Jim chuckled. "Alright then, I'm just grateful to know your spontaneity hasn't changed, Judai," was his fond mutter before reopening the door. "Well, come on in."

Wataru gulped before taking the chance to move forward.

* * *

The last thing Jim Crocodile Cook was expecting in a day of office work and shop organization was seeing two old friends again.

Sure, he had heard the rumors of Yuki Judai retiring quietly and taking up a new name, but never really checked for himself until Judai stumbled across his shop that very day.

With Wataru and his wife to boot.

If not for the situation at hand, Jim would've given himself time to think on where all the years had gone. Especially since everyone was already hitting their thirties and his friends were already _parents_.

If that wasn't the first shocker, then Jim wasn't sure what else to expect.

Then again, his former Team Leader was always surprising.

"…Hire Wataru?" Jim found himself saying incredulously at his workshop table. "Excuse me?"

Wataru flinched before avoiding his gaze, whistling nervously. Miyako gave him a level stare in contrast as Judai nodded. "I heard that you needed some help with your shop, and why not have a co-boss with you?"

"…Co-boss?!" Wataru squeaked.

Miyako glanced at Judai so fast Jim could've sworn her neck had cracked. " _What?_ " she said incredulously.

"Vice-President, Co-Boss, whatever works." Judai shrugged off both Gekkōs' glances in his direction, still grinning. "I know seals weren't really your strong point, man, and since you have a crafts shop like this one and I'm still busy with my business," —he then pointed at Wataru with a thumb— "Why not go to Wataru for his seal work? He kinda needs the extra job."

Jim tried not to gape and instead hung his head to think.

_Judai's right about seal work being my weakness, but extra job? I mean, shouldn't he be a—_

The lightbulb went off as soon as Jim got an accidental peek of Wataru's neon-green-casted left leg.

_Oh._

Jim looked up at the Gekkōs with a warm smile. "If you don't mind me, then I can take you. I'm guessing the war put you in a tough situation?"

Wataru's eyes widened before he hung his head. Miyako nodded in his place instead, reaching a hand over to wrap around her husband's shoulders.

Jim put on his best smile. "Well, alright. I needed the extra help anyway. And some of the clans have already started backing up this place, so we should be up in no time. I can take you in."

The way the taller Gekkō shot up from his sulking position was so sudden to where Jim tried not to lurch back. The sparks in Wataru's eyes said enough as is. "…Really?" he said quietly.

Jim chuckled. "Of course. Friends help each other. So why not?"

The retired nin already knew that he would be burning the memory of Wataru and Miyako's shared glance and smiles in his brain for the rest of his life.

* * *

A few months later, and I found myself waiting outside the large red Academy doors again, avoiding the curious stares of others in the big crowd of family members. With a new year, it came time for something to happen.

I just wasn't sure how else to describe it.

Living with Kakashi and the White Fang was definitely different from the usual routine though.

It was difficult initially, living with two additional, ninja housemates. Especially considering everything both males had gone through.

But we came through. With time, of course.

Kakashi didn't shy away whenever I wanted to hug him for example. If anything, he just really resigned himself to it before patting me on the back after a few seconds and muttering a soft, "Get off now, please."

Sakumo-jichan actually started putting in applications to be an Academy teacher. With the timing, I wasn't really sure if he could actually get to teach _Kei's_ age group, but knowing him, he would at least get to training Hayate when he started the Academy.

…Not that it stopped Sakumo-jichan and Miyako-bachan from having this unspoken competition as to whose sword-style was better.

Papa was dragged into those kinds of things too, but he would just somehow get away with some excuse. Which seemed to include _me_ for some reason.

And…well, Kei and Kakashi seemed to tolerate each other now, thankfully.

Hey, I know they're both quiet. When they're together in the same room, they barely talk to one another. But I think our many games of _Ten Million Ryo, But_ created some kind of grudging respect.

At least I could come back into the room and find no blood spilled.

"..."

"..."

Even if their silences were _really_ hard to deal with.

Wataru-jichan recovered from his leg, only to do something I didn't expect.

Actually _semi-retire_ from the front-lines and take up a full fuinjutsu-consultant position at a nearby crafts shop.

No matter how many times I begged Papa, he never said anything more but a soft, "I'll tell you another day since it's not our full business," with an accompanying smile.

Kei-chan seemed to be happy with the new development at least. And considering Wataru-jichan went out less in exchange for his consultant work and half-seal construction for the Hokage, I didn't blame her.

 _Having_ both parents was a blessing in the Naruto world after all.

Nonetheless, today was another monumental day. And with the growing sakura petals in the surrounding trees, Mother Nature seemed to acknowledge it too.

Kakashi and Sakumo-jichan weren't around to see it, but I made sure to come with Papa to the Academy to see it happen.

Today was the day Kei was slated to graduate with Obito and Rin.

As in, officially _become ninja_. Genin rank, but still.

It didn't stop me from being nervous and just heading out in the Super Sailor Moon kimono dress reserved usually for formal occasions for the sake of appearing 'proper.' Or whatever my mind chalked it up to.

Mama just smiled and went with it when I asked her about it.

And in the end, I just tried not to fidget, standing next to Papa while he tapped his foot.

"They should be coming out any moment now…" he muttered quietly. Then, Papa glanced at me. "You okay, sweetie?"

"Um," I started, trying not to jump in my sandals. Instead, I looked up at him while tugging at his jacket sleeve with a shy smile. "Kinda? Just…nervous?"

"Why?" Papa answered in confusion, inclining his head. "Tomoko-chan, there's nothing to be nervous about."

"It's just…" I fumbled with the pink lace of my sleeves before confessing the first thoughts that came to mind. "I know Kei-chan and the others are capable, but they're becoming _ninja_ , Papa. Real-life, active ninja. And…"

"And you're worried about them considering the war?" Papa finished quietly, hand landing on my head.

I nodded.

He sighed before reaching over to wrap an arm around my shoulders and bring me into a side-hug. "Tomoko-chan, you're worrying too much. And Kei-kun will be fine."

"…How do you know that?" I said quietly, the sound muffled from my nose being buried in his clothes. "Anything could happen, and—"

"And what?" Papa ruffled my hair, brushing any tangles out absently. "Tomoko-chan, you've seen Kei train. You've _trained_ with her yourself sometimes too, y'know. Or have you forgotten that already?"

My heart beat hard in embarrassment as I shook my head.

"So have faith," Papa said softly, now fully hugging me. "And trust in your friends, okay?"

"…Okay," I settled for finally.

And then a large bell started to ring through the clearing.

I tried not to jump as various sounds of laughter and congrats rolled out soon after in a mixed chorus of overall joy, and even when not looking out of Papa's hoodie, I could tell new ninja were greeting their loved ones.

So then, where was…

" _Tomoko~!"_ A trio of voices called out in unison.

I looked up as soon as three distinct heads of hair showed up in the crowd, each face adorning a grin.

Obito. Rin. Kei. All of them were visibly unharmed, and…

The Leaf symbol on all of their heads was very hard _not to miss._ Heck, even with Kei choosing a bandana over the usual forehead protector, it still said a lot.

I tried not to frown and instead let go of Papa to run over with a smile. "Obito-kun! Rin-chan! Kei!"

"Tomoko-chan, we _passed!_ " Obito bellowed happily, being the first to run over before hugging me tightly. "We're officially ninja now!"

Nearby, I could hear Rin giggle in agreement.

"T-That's great, Obito…" I muttered past his shoulder, gasping for air. "B-But…um…"

My back was starting to hurt now. When did Obito get such a tight _grip?_ I know excitement means a lot more force, and I'm not one to talk, but…

"Obito, lay off on Tomoko there," I could hear Kei holding back the snickers. "You're kinda choking her."

"A-Aye…" I squeaked.

The Uchiha then jumped away to give me some distance, and I found myself exaggeratedly wheezing. Kei was now visibly shaking from the laughter. Rin's audible giggles weren't helping.

"Keeeeeeeiiii~! Riiiiiiiiinnnnn~!" I pouted, brushing myself off before mock-glaring at them.

Rin shook her head before being next in line for a hug, thankfully being much easier on the force before letting me go. "I'm just glad to see you here with us, Tomoko-chan," she said softly, hands lingering on my shoulders.

"I'm happy to be here with you too, Rin-chan," I said immediately.

The warm fuzzies running through me said more than enough. And with how proudly Rin and Obito were holding up their Leaf symbols, I just couldn't stay worried for long.

But there was still one last person to address.

Once Rin pulled away and started chatting up some ninja thing with Obito and Papa, I found myself looking up at Kei after taking one step forward. Even at 9 years old, she was certainly getting taller, and if not for me duly resigning myself to being short again (considering my previous life, which had me stay at five-foot-two — which in itself was depressing), I would've felt like Edward Elric on a bad comparison day. Especially since I could only reach her shoulder now with my height.

But this was Kei. My reincarnation buddy (or so I dubbed her in my head), and my best friend. Donning the Leaf symbol on her head with her new bandana for the entire world to see.

"Congratulations, Kei-chan," I found myself saying softly.

She blinked while lightly fingering her bandana before smiling back at me. "Thanks, Tomoko-chan," was all she said.

Even with all that, the worry was starting to come back.

This would be the true start of everything.

Of Kei's ninja career. Of my own personal test of seeing how much I could do from a civilian standpoint.

Of the full Team Minato, whether Kei or Rin would take that female spot.

Were we ready?

Was…Was I…

I shook my head before reaching over to grasp her hand. Kei inclined her head at me in confusion, only watching as I proceeded to lift it in the air for me to trace all the lines and calluses on her palm.

"…Kei-chan," I started quietly, keeping my voice down so that she could hear it alone.

"Yeah?"

I looked up at her for the first time that day, making eye contact with those black eyes. "Will you be okay with this? This… This…" I fumbled, letting her hand go in exchange for fiddling with my kimono sleeves again. "This life? This…This…" I ended up pointing at her bandana with a shaky hand before looking away, feeling hot shame flood my face.

_This ninja world where nothing is really kind to you?_

_This world where I might not be able to be there for you?_

All those questions were left unsaid as my mouth went dry.

The answer was quick. "Not really, no."

My heart dropped in my chest.

Then, a hand landed on my head. I tried not to jump, and in the process, looked up to see Kei smile that same lopsided grin as the hand on my head started to ruffle my hair. "But we just have to do what we can do. So don't worry, Tomoko-chan. Really."

A smile involuntarily made its way up to my face, nearly breaking my cheeks from how wide it was. I ended up nodding before jumping over to wrap my arms around Kei's waist, and she didn't even hesitate in hugging me back in return.

This was the day we were waiting for.

We had to keep moving forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: …Yes, for those who are thinking it, I am working on Chapter 44 of Civilian Pianist. It's just been a slow process because Kannabi. Place where everything goes to hell. And I want to make sure when it comes out, it will be the best I can write because Kannabi will be my current magnum opus—especially since CP has been building up to this mission for a long time.
> 
> Nonetheless, I have to thank all those who reviewed Chapter 10 of The Sea and Stars as well as those who reviewed Chapter 43 on CP—reviews are very much appreciated and help with the motivation. Just don't go around saying "Update soon" or any derogatory comments, and we're good.
> 
> Thank you to Lang again, because I couldn't have even started this whole thing without her.
> 
> I don't regret anything~!


	12. Team Minato, Go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her parents belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Lars SorensenMusic's Medley of Konoha Peace from the Naruto Shippuden Soundtrack. Since it's a combination of both Konoha Peace 1 and 2, I found this works!
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 12: Team Minato, Go!_

Team assignments was something that not everyone was looking forward to in my friend group.

Considering my close friends, anyways.

Rin and Obito? Overjoyed while eating dango that afternoon.

Kakashi? Constantly sulking at the dinner table and giving me the silent treatment whenever I glanced at him.

Kei? Well…

"Either way, this is going to suck," she told me flatly the night before.

Apparently, sleepovers at either of our houses equaled lots of venting and so on.

I didn't mind it, but…

Oh heck. I honestly didn't know how to _respond_ to that. Instead, what came out of my mouth was a simple, "Um."

It was also harder to really answer when Hayate was using me as a pillow again, leaning his back against my chest to snooze away.

Soooo…yeah. I don't really know how else to start this. Really.

Especially since Team Minato's first D-Rank was at the _cafe_ of all things.

* * *

With the multitude of nightmares that night, Gekkō Keisuke woke up in the morning with the usual eye bags and one thought.

_That isn't going to happen to me._

With dreams of Team Minato's fall via Kannabi and the mission that she decided to call 'the mission that went to hell' (a fitting name considering how Rin had _died_ and how Obito lost his marbles), it was easy to get the urge to want to throttle Kishimoto Masashi for all his worth. Or whatever God that decided to throw her _into_ this mess.

What made said dreams worse were the time-skips to Shippuden and Pain's invasion, only to see her remaining friends _dead._

Despite the Dreamer's help, she couldn't get the images out of her head.

_Tomoko, ohmigod, no, nonono, you can't be—_

With the image of glassy blue eyes staring up at the sky with no life left in them, Kei shivered before shaking her head.

_No. No way in hell. There's no way I will EVER—_

Kei could never stomach the idea of a friend dying. Especially Tomoko.

 **Nothing is set in stone. We can do this,** said the Dreamer.

Kei wanted to believe that too. She just wasn't sure how to start.

And then she could hear the voices.

"—oko-chan, you do not have to be so nervous. So, help me with this onigiri now, won't you?"

_Mom?_

"O-Okay! I-I'm sorry, Miyako-bachan…"

 _Tomoko._ A shaky sigh left her. _She's—_

"Why are you so nervous, Tomoko-chan? Is it about Kei-chan again?"

For once, Kei and the Dreamer had the exact same thought.

_**Huh?** _

Then what sounded like a large, surprised squeak echoed through the hallways before any response was given. "U-Um, well…" It was easy to make out Tomoko's nervousness without even having to move. Then again, the high-pitched voice. "…Yeah," was the quiet response. "Yeah."

"Why?" Miyako said softly, the sound of a pot boiling echoing long after her statement.

"…" Tomoko muttered something inaudible, her chakra flickering in clear worry.

_Okay, that's it._

Kei pushed back her futon covers to sit up and start getting ready for the day. Slipping on her usual white-purple hoodie and shinobi gear didn't take too long, but it was really masking her presence so that she could head out without interrupting anything.

And trying to one-up Miyako. Which was easier said than done.

 **…This is a bad idea, and you know it,** said the Dreamer.

Kei honestly wanted to figure out what was going on, considering Tomoko was antsy otherwise.

Open book or not, the civilian was certainly a shy mess when it came to her own problems.

Once Kei could peek past the hallway and into the kitchen area, she could easily make out Miyako kneeling to her friend's height. The older woman had put her hands on top of Tomoko's shoulders, a warm expression on her face. "What is it, Tomoko-chan?"

"I just…" Tomoko averted her eyes, mumbling again. She fumbled with her fingers, swiping off some flecks of rice sticking to them in the process. "I just…"

Miyako inclined her head while gently reaching over to brush some stray hairs away from Tomoko's face.

The civilian then hung her head, glancing to the side. "…I just worry," she said finally, voice sheepish. "About Kei-chan, Hayate, Rin-chan, Obito-kun, Kakashi, everybody. A lot."

 _Huh?_ Kei peeked her head out a little more, blinking.

"…Why?" Miyako asked in her place, mouth turned in a small frown. "Is it because they are going to be ninja, Tomoko-chan?"

"N-Not just that, Miyako-bachan!" Tomoko protested, whipping her head away from staring at the wall to look at the older woman with an appalled face. Then, as if recognizing the situation, she turned red before bowing her head again, bangs shadowing her eyes. "It's…it's not just that."

"Then what, Tomoko-chan? What is it?" Miyako continued to prod softly.

Kei leaned in a little more.

 **What a wonderful way to use your ninja skills,** deadpanned the Dreamer.

"I just…" Kei didn't miss how Tomoko's voice cracked. "I just worry on whether I'm doing _enough_ for them, Miyako-bachan."

 _ **Huh?!**_ Kei and the Dreamer thought in unison.

"…" From Kei's vantage point, she couldn't make out Miyako's expression. Nonetheless, the older woman went on to lightly cup Tomoko's cheek with her left hand, gently turning the girl's face in her direction. "Tomoko-chan," she said softly. "Why do you worry about that? You are a civilian, you should not have to worry about that. You are still young."

"But…But it's _because_ I'm a civilian that I _do_ , Miyako-bachan," Tomoko confessed, shaking her head with a frown. "Kei-chan, Obito-kun, Rin-chan, everybody I know will be ninja. And…And I've seen how it affects people. Kakashi…" Tomoko averted her eyes while continuing, her right hand now fiddling with the hem of her apron. "It took Kakashi a few years to just _open up_ to me, and he's my age, Miyako-bachan. Sakumo-jichan…Mama and Papa have sometimes closed my door at night because they have to help him through nightmares." The civilian then gulped as she continued to hang her head. "Everyone in the cafe has been antsy lately, either because of the war or someone…someone letting out that we've been housing Sakumo-jichan and Kakashi. Papa's been more tired lately, and I don't know what to do…" Tomoko shuddered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. "And…"

_Oh man…_

Kei felt her blood run cold at the sight of _tears_ budding in her friend's eyes. "K-Kei-chan's been having nightmares, Miyako-bachan. And…and the first time they ever happened with me there, I-I…" Tomoko whimpered softly. "I-I couldn't _do anything._ And that's what scares me. Th-That…"

"That you cannot do anything but watch as they possibly spiral down a dark path?" Miyako finished solemnly, reaching over to wipe a tear away from the girl's cheek. "That things are changing and you are not sure how to reach out?"

Tomoko nodded.

Kei wasn't sure whether to move out there and reveal her presence, or sit back and listen some more.

Miyako pulled the girl into a warm hug. Despite Tomoko's loud squeal of surprise, Miyako wasn't even fazed, hugging her a bit tighter. "Oh, Tomoko-chan…" The older woman shook her head, pausing for a moment. "Tomoko-chan, it is alright to feel that way. What is important is remembering what _you_ can do and doing it when you can in that moment. We cannot predict the future or change the past—only work in the present." Then Miyako chuckled. "I believe you said that yourself during the concert with Sakumo, right?"

Another squeak before Tomoko hugged Miyako back, nodding slowly.

"So, take that advice to heart, Tomoko-chan," Miyako squeezed the girl one more time before letting go with a smile. "And do what you can do. And I do not think Kei-chan and the others will be that far gone like you think."

Tomoko blinked before wiping at her eyes with her hands. "H…How do you know that, Miyako-bachan?"

The last thing Kei was expecting was for Miyako to look right in her direction with a raised eyebrow. "For one thing, Kei-chan is right here."

_Shit._

**Don't blame me for this.**

Kei fully stepped out of the hallway to hesitantly wave. "Um, hi?"

Tomoko's jaw dropped before her eyes watered again, almost comically. "K-Kei-chan…." Her voice took on a horrified tone. "How long have you been there?!"

_Oh shit._

Kei sighed before taking a few steps forward, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "…Long enough," she said quietly. "I'm sorry about worrying you, Tomoko-chan, but I'll be fine. We all will be."

Tomoko gulped, inclining her head in confusion as Miyako pulled away to give her a look. If anything, Kei could liken her friend's expression to that of a kicked puppy. "…How do you know that, Kei? I mean…" The girl fidgeted, averting her eyes to wipe away more tears. "I mean…"

The words were left unsaid, but Tomoko's shaky chakra was a big hint already.

 **The Plot is literally rearing its head over us,** the Dreamer deadpanned.

Kei put on a grin while reaching over to pat the girl's head. Tomoko looked up with wide eyes as soon as she said it. "Hey, I have you, Mom, Dad, and everyone else to keep me in check now, don't I?"

Tomoko blinked before inhaling slowly. "…Oh," she said finally, glancing up at Kei's hand on her head before pouting.

Now Kei was wondering what she said wrong. "...Tomoko?" Her friend just turned her face away, pouting more. Kei felt her eyebrow twitch. "Tomoko-chan?"

Nearby, she could hear Miyako chuckle.

Then the civilian opened out her arms. "Hug," she said firmly.

Kei blinked. "Bwuh?"

Tomoko puffed her cheeks even more while still offering with her hands. "A hug will convince me. So…" From what she could see through the civilian's black hair, her ears were turning red. "Please?"

Kei shrugged before going with it.

"…That's better," Tomoko mumbled finally into Kei's jacket. "Though what is it with you and my _head…_ "

Miyako was outright laughing now while going back to her onigiri as Kei shrugged, resting her chin on said head. "You have a nice head, Tomoko-chan. That's basically it."

The civilian's ears flushed a darker red before she went about mumbling something in Kei's jacket. Then, there was a small and muffled, "…It's not because I'm short, right?"

 **Pfft,** muttered the Dreamer. **Where's Edward Elric when you need him?**

Kei laughed.

* * *

Finding Obito apparently didn't take as long as Kei originally expected. Considering the Uchiha's tardiness to basically anything, she and Rin had walked out of the Gekkō household with large bento boxes in case of sharing with their new teams, looking around for the boy in case if he was helping old ladies or another troubled civilian on the way to the Academy.

Oh, and Tomoko? Judai-jichan came by a little while before that to pick her up to go home. At least, before the civilian snuck in another hug or two (after snuggling Hayate until he started protesting) with worried squeaks along the lines of, "Get along with your teammates, and don't punch anybody, Kei-chan!"

_Pfft._

Kei was positive she wasn't _that_ bad…

Anyways.

It was with Obito's usual routine in mind that Kei found herself surprised at the sight of the Uchiha already in the classroom with a few classmates, grinning widely and waving from his seat in the near back of the bleachers. "Oiiiii! Kei! Rin! Over here!"

"…Obito's early?" Rin said incredulously.

"Obito's early," Kei echoed with a grin. "Who could blame him though? We're getting our teams today."

"At least one of us will be with him on a team, Kei-chan," Rin shared a similar grin before running over to take a seat on his right side.

"Yep…" Kei trailed off while walking up the stairs to take the seat on Obito's left as the thought hit her.

_Hey…now that I think about it, only Tomoko-chan, Rin-chan, and Mom call me with -chan, huh?_

Inwardly, the Dreamer shrugged, silent.

Then, the Dreamer frowned with a mumble of, **Tomoko** _ **does**_ **fluctuate between honorifics, so…**

Kei gave her other self the point. The civilian was weird in that regard.

"So," Obito started as soon as Kei was settled, uncharacteristically serious judging by his tone of voice. Hiding nervousness? "This is the big moment, huh?"

"PIPE DOWN AND GET YOUR BUTTS INTO YOUR SEATS!" Sensei proceeded to yell, and Kei decided to rest her head in her folded arms on the table while pushing out any expectations for the sake of _not_ breaking out into a cold sweat.

_Knowing class rankings, it'll be either me or Rin who gets into Team Minato, so…_

"We'll be great," Rin said quietly, bright smile on her face while glancing at the two of them.

"Of course we will!" Obito agreed happily, with a slight crack in his voice at the last part. Kei knew from experience that he wasn't acting as confident as he was sounding, and looked up to grin sheepishly. "Right, Kei?"

"Yep," Kei made sure to pop the last syllable for the sake of emphasis, grinning a bit more at the sight of the Uchiha returning the gesture.

Then she glanced towards the hallway, only reachable by the classroom door. Based on chakra signatures, it was…

 **Huh,** commented the Dreamer. **So Kakashi** _ **is**_ **here after all.**

_Probably to figure out who will be in his team, no doubt._

Even with the faint crackling of Lightning chakra that was a clear sign of the Chunin, Kei couldn't help but recall Tomoko's sheepish expression from the previous night.

" _U-Uh, Kakashi's kinda sulking right now in his room. He said that he's getting some new teammates tomorrow, and isn't really happy about that, so…um._ "

Kei ended up pinching the bridge of her nose. Judging by how much said chakra was flickering like a live electric wire, Kakashi was more than just sulking. At this point, he was _irritated_ and _annoyed_.

A basic set-up for an already insufferable, pint-sized _jackass_.

 **It could have been worse,** the Dreamer pointed out quietly. **In canon, Kakashi lost Sakumo. Here, Sakumo's still alive and, last we checked, applying to work as an Academy teacher. Not to mention being supported by Tomoko and her family. He shouldn't be too horrible.**

Kei took the words with a grain of salt. Just in case.

Considering how Kakashi was almost always silent when hangouts happened (unless Tomoko prompted him to speak otherwise), she didn't want to take any chances.

"…Didn't sleep well?" Obito unknowingly interrupted, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really," Kei answered honestly, not raising her head from her arms. "Nightmares again." She then tapped her fingers against her left arm, trying to ignore the crinkling feeling the Chunin's chakra gave off. A part of her had the heavy urge to just stomp out there and talk some sense into the guy considering how his chakra made her feel more _uncomfortable_ than she was already, but considering her laziness and Tomoko's friendship with him, Kei decided to leave Kakashi be.

Confrontations could be left for later.

In the middle of all this, the Academy sensei continued to read off names until one set made Kei's blood freeze.

" _Inabi Satoshi, Nohara Rin, and Aida Kōji. Your sensei is Yamaguchi Akihito."_

 _Oh, what the_ _ **fuck.**_ Kei sat up with a start, frown already forming on her face.

Obito on the other hand proceeded to faceplant himself into the desk with a loud _Thunk._ "Dammit," he said mournfully.

 **Well, we** _ **did**_ **realize this could happen,** the Dreamer interrupted.

"It's okay, guys, I'll be fine!" Rin was still able to smile while waving off whatever worries were in the air with a warm hand, but Kei could only find herself nodding.

Sure, Satoshi and Kōji were okay in their own rights, with Satoshi acing all weapons tests and Kōji's large chakra supply, but they didn't seem to fit in a team with _Rin-chan_ of all people.

Screw bias, Rin was like a _sister._ Letting her go felt like _sacrilege._

Obito went on to slump at his desk almost in an imitation of crushing despair from Madoka, but Kei decided to ignore him in favor of reaching over and giving a reassuring squeeze to Rin's shoulder. She smiled hesitantly back, so the disappointment rolling through her was thankfully mitigated.

Now it was just hearing her name and Obito's.

The thing is, more and more names were called for new teams, but Kei didn't hear a single _syllable_ of hers or Obito's.

The last straw that broke the camel's back resulted when Sensei ended up rolling up his list after the last three names were called before throwing it into the already dirty wastebasket with exaggerated flourish.

Judging by the buzzing chakra still lurking outside in the hallway, Kakashi was just as irritated as she was at the motion. Even if Kei was really tempted to get a headache from feeling said buzzing alone.

Once Rin and her other classmates started drifting out of the room, with a warm hug and glance shared between what was left of 'Team Awesomeness', Kei tried not to jump at the sound of their sensei's voice.

"Gekkō Keisuke, Uchiha Obito."

"Yes sensei?" Kei found herself responding instinctively, raising her head.

Obito snapped his head up too, clearly looking like a kicked puppy. Probably because Rin was gone, no doubt.

Their sensei proceeded to smirk, and Kei had the strange feeling the older man was taking some last bits of fun out of their reactions. Considering how they were some of their graduating class's slackers, she didn't fully blame the guy. "After lunch, you'll meet your third teammate and your Jounin sensei. I'm just not supposed to spoil the surprise."

 **…Not really a surprise when we know who they are already,** mumbled the Dreamer.

_Still. He's testing us already. And this early too. Bastard._

It wasn't that Kei didn't want to meet Minato and Kakashi already - it was more like she wanted to _throttle_ them both because of the unneeded trouble of going through with the 'surprise'. And why? The Sannin and Team Seven of canon already went through the bell test.

Knowing Minato, the bells were imminent anyways.

Kei could already imagine the worried squeaks Tomoko would let out later at the thought.

Once their sensei left with a final glance in their direction, Kei stood up from her annoyed slouch. "Fuck it," she mumbled dryly, glancing at Obito with a shrug. "C'mon, Obito. The roof's nice at this time of year, and Mom packed me a gigantic bento. We should probably find our third teammate outside the door on the way there."

The Uchiha sighed before getting up too. "Damn, I wish we could've gotten Rin-chan instead of some mystery kid on our team." Then he paused, putting a hand on his chin before whipping his head to look at her with wide eyes. "And wait, Kei, you already _know_ this guy?! And he's outside the door?!"

Kakashi's chakra proceeded to jump slightly, as if not expecting her to point him out.

 _Just you wait, asshole,_ she thought.

"Well…" Kei tried to hold back a snort. "If my thinking is correct, then yeah. He has been a regular at Nagareboshi Cafe for the past few years." Then she faced the classroom door, cupping a hand around her mouth to yell.

" _Right, Kakashi?"_

Obito proceeded to choke.

The Lightning chakra went on to nearly skyrocket in its buzzing, clearly in shock before an audible sigh sounded through the door. Through the window in said door, Kei could make out the same spiky silver hair before it slid open.

And sure enough, Hatake Kakashi, insufferable Chunin himself, walked through the opening with a hand in his pants pocket while the other was on his hip. "…How did you know it was me?" he said slowly.

 _Bah._ Even in a sleeveless blue shirt and arm warmers, it was still Kakashi.

He was still the pint-sized jackass when Tomoko wasn't around, at least.

"It was obvious," Kei responded dryly, raising a hand in the air for extra emphasis. "Especially considering sensei's behavior and how you were apparently 'sulking' yesterday."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. "…I wasn't sulking."

"To Tomoko, yes. You were." Kei retorted. "You kinda worried her for a second."

Even through his mask, Kei could make out Kakashi's frown.

Then Obito started to _screech._ "W-Wait, Kei, you—" He pointed a shaky finger at Kakashi in the meantime. "— _know_ Bakashi?! And, waitaminute," Obito's eyes proceeded to widen underneath his goggles. "Bakashi knows _Tomoko-chan?!_ You two—" His hands were now switching between pointing at her and Kakashi all at once, jaw dropping faster than a fishing reel into a lake. "— _know_ each other?! Kakashi's a regular at Nagareboshi Cafe?! Like, like—" Obito was vaguely resembling a gaping fish now. "— _seriously_?! Why didn't I hear of this?!"

Kakashi proceeded to face palm as Kei was tempted to slap herself.

Instead, Kei pulled out the large bento from her pack to gesture at mockingly. "Obito, let's all just get lunch. And then I can explain."

Kakashi gave her a side glare.

Kei didn't even flinch, only shrugging. "You're coming with us too."

" _What."_

* * *

"…"

"…"

"…We're off to a great start already, huh?" Kei deadpanned while holding up an onigiri panda.

"What were you expecting?" Kakashi retorted from his perch on the roof railing in front of them while downing some rice with his disappearing chopsticks. "A party?"

"One that _you_ weren't supposed to crash, Bakashi," Obito mumbled around a mouthful of ginger, crossing his arms.

Kakashi snapped his head in the Uchiha's direction with a raised eyebrow. "…What was that?"

"Nothing, bastard," Obito mumbled again with a larger scowl on his face.

**This is not working.**

_Fuck yeah, it's not._ Kei was honestly hoping that with Rin not on the team _and_ with Tomoko's influence, the team would be less polarized. Not be stepping on eggshells on its _very first day_ without having yet gone on a single mission.

Kei held back the urge to face palm, instead finishing off her panda with palpable frustration. Then, she opened her mouth with a loud, "Hey!"

Both boys looked up at her with raised eyebrows.

Kei took a breath to shake her head. "Let's try to leave the fights for _after lunch_. We'll have loads of time to beat each other black and blue later."

At least _food_ was something the boys didn't immediately try to start a fight over. Kakashi subsided with a quiet huff before devouring his own onigiri panda with quick ferocity while Obito quieted his mumbling with a soft grumble.

"…You're more unbelievable than I thought," Kakashi said finally after half the bento was done with.

"I'm a girl," Kei replied flatly, snagging the umeboshi before Obito could, simply because he was too busy giving sidelong glares in Kakashi's direction. "It's the same thing."

"I knew that already, no need to repeat it," Kakashi deadpanned in return while grabbing a pickle.

Obito swallowed his rice to grimace in Kei's direction. "So," he interrupted quietly, using his chopsticks to point at Kakashi without even glancing at him. "How do you two know each other?"

"Tomoko-chan," Kei said, trying not to roll her eyes at how the situation was turning out. "We met through her, and kinda tolerated each other since then."

"More like I was your guys' _babysitter_ ," Kakashi mumbled.

Kei only had to glance in the Chunin's direction _once_ for Kakashi to turn away, stubbornly not meeting her eyes. "I beg to differ considering how Tomoko-chan handled things."

The civilian _still_ needed to work on her poker face.

"Hn," was Kakashi's reply. He was going to play the silent guy. Okay then.

Kei then turned to Obito, trying not to twitch in impatience. "What about you, Obito? How do you know Kakashi?"

The Uchiha proceeded to chomp on some mochi, only to brighten a tad at the taste of red bean in the pastry. "Academy," he mumbled around the mouthful. "Rin and I started when we were five, and Kakashi entered around the same time, only to graduate later that year." Then Obito started to grumble, and if not for the food, Kei would've heard it. " _—still an ass_ ," was all she got out of it.

Okay then.

Long-time grudges were actually a thing. Great.

Kei proceeded to sigh. "Anyways, I'm guessing your sensei will be ours now too, huh Kakashi?"

The silver-head glanced up once before a yellow flash filled the corner of her vision after a slight flare of chakra.

And sure enough, Namikaze Minato had entered the fray, spiky blonde hair and all. From a quick glance over, Kei was sure she could only reach up to the Jounin's ribcage currently.

If Tomoko-chan was here, she would probably reach a little less so. Maybe Minato's lower stomach?

**Don't let Tomoko catch you saying that.**

_Not planning on it._

Edward Elric was already bad enough when it came to height. Still, for what seemed to be a 19-year old Minato, he was tall already. The standard Jounin uniform just accentuated that difference even more.

"Making new friends already, Kakashi?" Minato asked cheerily.

"Sensei!" Kakashi nearly _chirped_ , and Kei already knew from his overjoyed and embarrassed tone alone that this was one of the few people the Chunin at least respected or looked up to. Even with Tomoko, who could _bribe_ Kakashi with music, he never sounded _this_ happy when greeting her.

_Huh._

Obito was glancing between Kakashi and the Yellow Flash with wide eyes and an open mouth that made him resemble a fish.

And then the sparkles faded as soon as Kakashi realized his place and coughed into his hands. "Gekkō Keisuke and Uchiha Obito, this is Namikaze Minato-sensei. Minato-sensei, brats. Do I need to ring any other bells?"

_Hypocrite. You're a brat too, y'know._

"Who are you calling a _brat?!_ " Obito yelled, jumping to his feet with fists raised.

Minato was already sweating while Kei was very much grateful for the bokken strapped to her back.

"…Could we just go back to eating like normal people?" she commented idly. "Or we could just visit Nagareboshi Cafe if the roof's too tense. It's an idea."

Apparently, Minato wasn't expecting her last sentence, because he then turned to look at her with somewhat wide blue eyes. "Nagareboshi Cafe?" he echoed quietly. Kei didn't miss how Obito and Kakashi quieted down too at the name of the establishment. "By chance, do you three…" Minato went on to glance between the three of them with a thoughtful frown. "Have you three already been there before?" he amended after a few seconds.

"Live there," Kakashi started immediately.

"Been there," Obito continued before backing up and glancing at Kakashi with another fish-face. "Wait, _what_ —"

"Know and became the first family-friend of the pianist there," Kei finished duly with a raised hand.

 **And we share reincarnation experiences there,** the Dreamer added.

Kei decided not to voice the last part. It would be way too much trouble if she did.

"…Huh," Minato said finally after a few moments of silence. "Well, that's a nice way of starting to know each other. I didn't expect we would all share that." The Yellow Flash went on to smile. "I know Tomoko-chan too, so I guess we all could visit the cafe later?"

"Hm," said Kakashi, but he nodded his head anyways.

Obito grinned. "Sure!"

Kei shrugged with a smile. "Why not?"

It was a strangely promising start.

* * *

Introductions surprisingly went quickly. As expected, Kakashi didn't say much aside from the bare minimum and what seemed like a good Sasuke impression of 'Hn,' Obito went on about being the greatest Hokage in the world, and Minato-sensei wanted to be Hokage himself.

Not too much deviation from canon there.

Kei's dream? Aside from censoring a whole bunch of others for the sake of not ruining any canon rules, settling for a Jounin position sounded nice enough.

Hopefully responsibility wouldn't be saddled with said title _too_ much.

She could hope. At least.

Now if only the announcement of the ' _real_ ' genin test happening the next morning _wasn't_ such a large bombshell, she might've been enjoying this team walk out towards Nagareboshi Cafe a little bit more.

What? The Bell Test was hard enough to think about!

Not to mention…

"…"

"…"

"…Easy, Kakashi. You too, Obito," Minato-sensei said belatedly, walking ahead of the duo to be between them, breaking off the sparks already flying in the air. "We might as well relax a little bit before everything tomorrow, so no fights breaking out on my watch."

Obito scowled while Kakashi stubbornly turned his head away.

Kei could already _feel_ the impending headache. _Wonderful._

Thankfully, the street was already winding down to their destination, so it didn't take that long to reach the spot. And sure enough, with its bright red doors and soft neon sign hanging overhead, Nagareboshi Cafe was already in front of them.

"…So," Obito started from over her shoulder. "Who's going to head in first—"

Kei took it upon herself to twist the doorknob and swing it open, answering Obito's question without having to say anything.

Immediately, the soft scent of green tea and cakes passed her nose as the usual cafe interior greeted her. Surprisingly, there wasn't as much customer traffic as usual, considering how it was right after lunch, with some of the tables empty. The bar itself was half full, with Judai-jichan absently cleaning a wine glass with a towel, thoughtful frown on his face. Hikari-bachan wasn't in sight, so Kei guessed that she was in the kitchen handling something. The fresh cake smell was telling enough.

So then where was…

Kei looked around while taking the first few steps inside before she saw her.

Tomoko was wiping down a table near the stage, looking a bit more upset than this morning with her blue eyes flickering. Even with the brightly colored Leafeon-themed kimono dress and green hair ribbon, her forlorn face didn't help anything. Judging by how thoroughly she was cleaning the surface, she hadn't noticed Team Minato coming in yet.

Kei shrugged before speaking up. "Tomoko-chan?"

That did it. The civilian girl looked up from her work, dropping her cleaning towel in the process, and Kei could already see the sparkles lighting up the area before Tomoko even did anything. Then, with a bright smile and a loud cry of, "Kei-chan!" in return, Kei was already bracing herself for the incoming tackle-hug.

And sure enough, Tomoko started a light enough sprint so that when she finally leapt onto her, Kei had to twirl on the bottoms of her feet for the sake of not falling over from all the force. Years of training in her reflexes certainly helped, and Kei made sure to grasp onto her friend tightly, resulting in quite a spinning hug to where she could _hear_ Tomoko's warm laughter echo in her ear.

"Hahaha! K-Kei-chan— _waaaah_ —h-hey~!"

…Oh, and a small pained sound of, " _Oof!_ " from Obito behind her. Whoops.

Kei probably should've warned him first that Tomoko did that. Tackle-hug, really.

The only way that really mitigated all the force from said hug was to make it a spinning hug, only for Tomoko's feet to, well…hit anybody behind them really. If they didn't dodge first. So yeowch.

Still, Kei found herself laughing long after the force subsided and she had put Tomoko back on her feet. "T-Tomoko-chan, _pfft_ , I just saw you this morning. There's no need to tackle me."

"Ehhhh?" Tomoko pouted before letting Kei go, clearly put off by the response. "But you're _snuggly_ , Kei! I like hugging you, and now that you're a real ninja, I might not see you as much!" If Kei didn't know any better, it was as if steam was coming out of the girl as she turned away with a jutting of her lip. "…Besides, hugs are the greatest thing ever," was the childish mumble.

Kei snorted before reaching over to poke what little was exposed of Tomoko's forehead through her bangs with a finger. "Alright, alright, I know, Tomoko-chan." Even with the slight ache in her limbs from the hug, Kei still found herself smiling. "I like hugging you too."

The civilian brightened up significantly before taking a step forward to envelop Kei in another hug. Thankfully, it was much softer this time with Tomoko wrapping her arms around Kei's middle instead of her neck, so it was much easier to return the gesture without overexerting anything.

"Hm-mm," Tomoko was clearly humming in joy by the time she let Kei go for real, and her expression then morphed to that of recognition as soon as she looked past Kei's shoulder. "Oh! Hi, Obito, Kakashi, Minato-san! Welcome back to the cafe!" The civilian went on to wave wildly, sparkles almost _literally_ flying off her if Kei didn't know any better.

**A bit late on the greeting, don't you think?**

Kei mentally shrugged as a response.

Obito on the other hand, was still reeling from the red, _geta-shaped_ footprint sitting on the middle of his face, caught between a grimace and a smile. "H-Hi Tomoko-chan…!"

Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow at the civilian while Minato was the only one to return the happy wave.

_Whoops._

Kei could already read the horror dawning on Tomoko's face before she started squeaking. "A-Ah, Obito! I'm sorry!" And with a soft push, the civilian ran past her to reach the Uchiha, handkerchief already in hand to start wiping at the red print. "I-I didn't mean to hit you!"

"I-It's fine, Tomoko-chan," Obito was still attempting to smile despite nursing what looked like the beginnings of a foot-shaped _bruise_ on his face. "At least you got a good kick!"

"That's not the point!" Tomoko proceeded to squeal, already tugging on the Uchiha's hand to pull him towards the nearest table to sit down. "I shouldn't have hurt you like that!"

"…Technically, Kei-kun twirled you, so it wasn't fully your fault, Tomoko-chan…" Minato tried to mumble, only to be drowned out by Tomoko's high-pitched protests and Obito's subsequent mumbling.

Kei was left to watch with Kakashi from the entrance as the silver-haired Chunin crossed his arms. "…What am I, chopped liver?" he mumbled. "And _how_ did I consent to living here again?"

"Tomoko-chan bribed you with music?" Kei filled in intelligently.

A long pause followed between the duo as they continued to watch Tomoko fuss over Obito like an overprotective mother, with Minato nervously lingering in the background.

Kakashi only let out another "Hn," before leaving it at that.

Okay then.

"…Kei-chan?" And then Kei tried not to jump, only to look up at Hoshino Hikari who had just come out of the kitchen, blue bubble kimono and all, blue eyes wide with recognition. "And Kakashi-kun! Welcome back!" The civilian woman smiled softly.

"Hi, Hikari-bachan," both ninja said in unison, only to blink and glance at each other because that was _creepy._

Hikari then looked behind herself to blink. Apparently, Tomoko had quieted down in her vocal worries, but hadn't stopped fussing over Obito. "…I'm guessing the three of you, including Obito-kun, are now in a team together." Hikari then said.

"Yep," Kei replied, as soon as Kakashi came out with a mumbled, "Unfortunately."

… _The fuck?_

Thankfully, before she could think of anything, Hikari turned on the Chunin with a frown. "Oi, Kakashi-kun, don't say that on your first day as a team. I think Judai and I have told you already that you can't just do things on your own all the time. Chin up a bit more, okay?"

Kakashi promptly wilted at the civilian woman's tough stare and after a few seconds, opted for a single nod.

 _ **Holy shit,**_ Kei and the Dreamer thought in unison.

_Hikari-bachan just…_

**A civilian woman made** _**Kakashi** _ **back down. Whoa.**

Hikari sighed before turning to Kei with a warm smile. "Anyways, how about you two come in? It looks like your sensei and Obito-kun are…well…" she glanced over at the scene, smiling a bit more sheepishly. Kei glanced over too, only to find herself sweating at Tomoko pulling out a large bandage patch the size of her hand from her pocket to stick on Obito's nose. Judging by the Uchiha's wide eyes and wavy hands, he was not too keen on the idea. Minato was still lingering in the background, now holding back chuckles, so that was a thing. "—they're already settled in." Hikari finished finally. "So why not?"

"Sure, Hikari-bachan," Kei smiled again, walking over to sit next to Obito. It took a few minutes for Kakashi to take a seat across from them, and by then, Hikari had gotten Tomoko's attention via a hand on her shoulder for the fussing to stop. And for the large bandage to disappear. Then, with a warm wave and sheepish smile in their direction, Tomoko darted past the tables and the back door leading into the kitchen, leaving Hikari to pull out a notepad and pencil.

"So, Team…" Hikari trailed off.

"Minato," Minato cut in coolly, taking a seat next to Kakashi. "It's been a while, Hikari-san."

"Oh, hello, Minato-san!" Hikari smiled again while bowing her head. "I see you've taken on two more students. Please take care of Kei-chan and Obito-kun for all of the adults when they're out of the village and otherwise."

Kei had a strange feeling there was an underlying threat in the sweet tone. Especially with how Minato started sweating. "O-Of course, Hikari-san, I'll do my best."

 **We are very much blessed that Hikari is on our side,** said the Dreamer.

_Agreed._

"Please do~!" Hell, her voice sounded like honey mixed in with a little bit of venom. The bright smile so reminiscent of Tomoko's made the feeling intensify. Wah. "And make sure Kakashi-kun isn't reckless—he really worries everyone in this house."

Kakashi immediately froze at those words despite Hikari not even looking in his direction.

Obito snickered into his hand while hiding his face behind a spare menu.

"Anyways…" Kei tried not to tense at Hikari turning to her with a warmer smile. "What would you all like to order?"

"Um," Kei said slowly. She took a few seconds to think before speaking. "Hikari-bachan, do you have mochi? And tea?"

"Of course we do, Kei-chan, what do you take me for~?" The last thing Kei was expecting was for Hikari to pull down her kimono sleeve to show off the muscles in her right arm. "I started this whole kitchen, so I can do it!"

"Okay then," Kei replied, not sure of what else to say. Maybe it was the bright white smile and how Hikari seemed to be going from one mood to another. And the mood swings weren't even subtle like Miyako's, which was probably why it felt a bit scarier.

**The strong family resemblance to Tomoko is probably a factor too, y'know.**

Kei tried not to shiver at the thought.

Thankfully, the civilian woman had turned her attention away to scribble on her notepad. "So, an order of mochi and tea for Kei-chan, but…" Hikari looked at her again, visible questioning on her face. "What kind of mochi and tea do you want?"

"Red bean mochi and green tea, please," Kei answered immediately.

Hikari smiled, more genuinely this time, before scribbling on her notepad again. Then, without looking up, she said, "What about you, Obito-kun, Kakashi-kun? What would you like?"

Kakashi had apparently unfrozen himself in the time it took for Kei to place her order, and looked up with a shrug. "Warm herbal tea is fine, Hikari-bachan."

Obito raised an eager hand in the meantime, grinning brightly in contrast to Kakashi's nonchalant demeanor. "An order of dango for me, Hikari-san!"

"Alright, alright, just a moment," Hikari went on to scribble a bit more before returning the Uchiha's smile. Then, her aura turned a bit less warm when turning to Minato, and Kei tried not to shiver at the feeling of venom-tinged honey that her chakra sense was picking up. Did Hikari already have a grudge against the Jounin or— "What about you, Minato-san?"

Apparently, Minato wasn't missing this either, and put on a shaky smile. "U-Uh, a strawberry shortcake please, Hikari-san."

Hikari scribbled one more time before glancing at all four of them with a brighter smile, allowing Kei to breathe a bit easier. "Alrighty, so there's red bean mochi, green tea, herbal tea, dango, and strawberry shortcake." The woman bowed her head after gathering the table's menus. "I'll be sure to send Tomoko-chan over to you with them shortly."

And with that said, the civilian woman gently walked away to disappear behind the kitchen door, geta sandals tapping the tile floor behind her while doing so.

Minato exhaled shakily.

"…Hey, Kei?" Obito started in a quiet whisper.

Kei blinked. "Yeah?"

Obito tried not to glance over, but ended up doing it anyway with curiosity. Thankfully, the Yellow Flash didn't notice, instead folding his napkin absently. "Is it just me, or does Hikari-san not like Minato-sensei?"

"…You realize he could hear you, right?" Kei says quietly, trying not to attract any attention. "But you have a point, Obito…wonder what Minato-sensei did…"

"I wonder that myself," Kakashi interrupted, clearly irritated at something or another. "The last time Minato-sensei came over, Hikari-bachan was at least on good terms with him."

 **I bet Kakashi had something to do with it,** muttered the Dreamer.

Before anyone could say anything else, the kitchen doors swung open again, with Tomoko emerging with a large tray. Even with what appeared to be a large teapot and a few plates of food on said tray, the civilian didn't seem fazed, easily balancing the tray on her left hand while walking over in their direction. "Thank you for waiting, guys!" If her warmth was anything of an indicator, it was easy to see where the cafe got its cheery demeanor aside from the family atmosphere, because Tomoko's smile was contagious.

"Good timing, Tomoko-chan!" Obito crowed happily, bright grin on his face. Then he sniffed the air, drooling a little. "Oooh, that smells good."

Tomoko giggled before finally coming to a stop near their table, setting down her delivery. "Let's see…" The girl visibly hummed while placing each dish down with ease. "Red bean mochi and green tea for Kei-chan, dango for Obito-kun, herbal tea for Kakashi, and strawberry shortcake for Minato-san."

Kei made sure to take her order before anything happened. And…strangely enough, Minato then proceeded to poke his cake with a fork, questioning frown on his face.

Tomoko blinked before smiling in his direction, folding her hands across the tray to hold against her chest. "Don't worry, Minato-san, Mama didn't poison it."

The Jounin looked up before turning pink. "T-Tomoko-chan, I wasn't worrying about that!"

 _ **Liar,**_ Kei and the Dreamer thought in unison.

Even then, Tomoko giggled. "Really, Minato-san, just relax. I think Mama's been a bit on edge lately because everyone else has been."

"…Everyone else?" Kakashi asked, tea cup already in hand with half of its contents gone.

_How did he—_

**Ninja** , the Dreamer waved off.

Tomoko's face took on a more uncertain frown while averting her eyes. Kei didn't miss how her chakra shivered in the process. "Well, that's—"

The front doors then swung open with a soft jingle of the doorbell.

"Oh," Tomoko said in response.

The last person Kei was expecting to see was Hatake Sakumo himself walking through the entrance, donning simple Jounin blues with a distinct lack of any flak jacket or any symbol screaming ' _White Fang.'_ From his expression and murky chakra, it must've been a long day. Kei only watched as the older man walked through the establishment, nodding in Judai's direction before heading to the main back door and jiggling the doorknob.

"Sakumo-jichan…?" Tomoko tried to wave a welcoming hand in his direction, but her voice may have been too quiet because he didn't even say anything in acknowledgement before completely disappearing.

It was as if Sakumo was too tired to even look around and notice Team Minato plus Tomoko staring his way before leaving the area.

Then the 'oh-too-loud' whispers started up from a specific corner of the cafe.

" _It was him. The traitor."_

" _How dare he walk around in public, especially in this place!"_

" _He's already tainting this cafe. Ugh, I can still feel his presence even with him gone."_

" _He should've just put himself out of our misery!"_

" _It's all his fault that the war started!"_

Tomoko was already visibly grimacing from the words alone. Kei didn't miss how Kakashi was tensing up either. When glancing in the direction of the whispers, they seemed to be coming from a specific group of civilian customers _and_ Nagareboshi servers (if their work uniforms were any less of an indication) hanging around a dark corner of the cafe past the stage. To make things worse, they weren't discrete in pointing in Team Minato's direction either.

" _That's the traitor's boy."_

" _Why is he here?"_

" _I'm just wondering why he's here in the open too. And that girl…"_

" _Isn't that the pianist girl?"_

" _I heard she saved the traitor."_

" _Why bother? He needed to die."_

Tomoko gripped her tray a bit tighter. The buzzing that was Kakashi's chakra seemed to have returned completely, along with crackling that was of clear irritation and discontent.

Kei's blood was already boiling.

_They're bad-mouthing_ _**Tomoko** _ _too?!_

But before she could say anything, Judai-jichan himself swung into the fray, walking in to slam a glass of water on the table where the bastards were at. With the amount of force slammed into said table, the water spilled almost ominously. "Hello~, here's your order of water," he hummed, voice sweet in contrast to the rolling whirlwinds that his chakra was giving off. "If you have problems with the guests we have here, I kindly suggest you _leave_ now." And then Judai glanced at the few workers surrounding the table with a raised eyebrow. "And what's with you guys? I thought I already talked to you about bad-mouthing family members."

"J-Judai-san!" One shrieked, clearly caught off guard. Kei could easily tell this guy was the one who mentioned Tomoko, because everyone's attention, the troublemaker group included, was on him. "I-I, well—"

"Save it," Judai answered coolly, raising a hand. "Once you started bringing Tomoko-chan into this conversation, it's already been decided. Return your uniforms to Hikari and get out. _Never_ come back."

The small bit of killing intent in the air was not hard to miss.

The workers were already scrambling towards the kitchen in fear at the same time as the bad-mouthing civilians who ran out the door. Once the smoke had cleared, all that was left in that dark corner was Judai and the spilled water glass in the center of the table. With a sigh, the older man pulled out a towel from his pocket to start cleaning.

"…Papa?" Tomoko called out.

Judai looked up only to smile, the killing intent disappearing with it. "Don't worry about it, Tomoko-chan!" He waved at her cheerily, almost as if nothing had even happened. "Just hang out with your friends! I got this covered!"

Tomoko nodded before shivering a little, shaking her head once her attention was back on the team. "…Did that answer your question?" she said finally.

Kakashi nodded firmly, gripping his tea cup tight enough for Kei to see some of the veins running through his fingers. "Yeah," he muttered angrily. "It did."

Silence reigned for a few moments.

Kei gripped her tea to take a light sip.

Minato went on to cut a small slice of his cake to put into his mouth. The clicking of the metal fork against the plate was enough to jostle everyone at least. "So," he said quietly, pressing on the nearest privacy seal with his other hand. "Has that been persisting lately, Tomoko-chan?"

The pianist lifted her head, showing visible surprise before she started to fidget. "Um…well…" Tomoko went on to hang her head again. "…Yes," she said finally, voice quiet. "That's…um, what you just saw was the third incident this week."

"Tomoko-chan," Obito pulled up a nearby chair while speaking up, inclining his head in sympathy. "How long has this been going on?"

Instead of answering, Tomoko glanced at Kakashi. The Chunin didn't say anything, only meeting her eyes for a mere moment before turning away. Judging by the increased buzzing of his chakra, Kakashi didn't seem up for answering anything. The live, ' _Don't talk to me,'_ aura said enough.

It didn't help with the possible headache Kei would be experiencing in the future from all the chakra rolling around.

Obito motioned towards the chair again. "Tomoko-chan?"

The civilian met Obito's eyes with much hesitance before sighing. "…Should I sit down first and say it, or say it and then sit down?"

"Either or, Tomoko-chan," Kei interrupted, shrugging. "Just do what's most comfortable for you."

"…I don't know if that helps my current situation of explaining things, but okay," Tomoko proceeded to deadpan. Then it was really making room for her at an already spacious table, which didn't take that much time, before waiting for anything else to be said.

A few more moments of silence.

Tomoko took a deep breath before looking up, placing her tray to the side. "Well, Obito?"

The Uchiha looked up from playing with his dango to blink. "Yeah, Tomoko-chan?"

The civilian smiled wryly. "To…well, answer your previous question? This whole… _problem_ ," Tomoko made a wide sweep of her hands in the air to illustrate the atmosphere. "Has been going on ever since the White Fang has returned to Konoha. I think…" Tomoko then averted her eyes in shame. "Ever since last winter."

… _The_ _ **fuck?**_ _You've gotta be fucking_ _ **kidding**_ _me._

Kei made sure to carefully put her tea down before saying anything. But what ended up coming out of her mouth was a grunt caught between disbelief and anger, before _anything_ remotely word-like. In the end, she ended up saying a quiet, "What."

Tomoko flinched in her seat. "Um. I-I…um…" the girl fidgeted again, shrinking in her chair while doing so. Then, there was a quiet and shaky, "I'm…I'm going to have to explain this, don't I?"

Judging by Minato and Kakashi's stoic faces and Obito's own _visible_ stewing rage, the answer was already in the air.

Kei closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "Please, Tomoko-chan."

Tomoko raised her head and even without looking, Kei knew that the girl was glancing in her direction. Then, the civilian took a deep breath, the amount of air making it obvious that she was nervous, before saying anything. "…It didn't start like that though. Papa kicking people out, I mean. It was just small whispers that I would occasionally catch when I would be waiting on tables, never at the piano." Another inhale, this time shakier. " _Why is Sakumo_ _still alive_ , or _, we should avoid him when we have the chance_."

"…Then it started getting worse." Kakashi filled in, voice monotone.

Judging by Tomoko's small squeak, she wasn't expecting the Chunin to interrupt, and Kei opened one eye to glance over and see her friend fidget again. "Yeah…yeah…" Tomoko hung her head. "And…And I don't know when it happened, but then the whispers started getting louder. And more noticeable. Even when I went into the kitchen to pick up something, some of the hired help started repeating the same things…" she shivered. " _He should've died,_ or _Who needs a failure like him_ , or something like that. And then…and then…"

Tomoko's voice cracked.

Kei was already pushing her cup of tea in the civilian's direction before anything else was said.

Tomoko raised her head to look at the tea, but shook her disagreement to the offer, instead inhaling again. "I-I don't know how, but somehow word got out that Sakumo-jichan and Kakashi were staying with us. The first real incident happened around a month before…" she gulped. "A month before Kei-chan and Obito-kun's graduation. Two old-time helpers were fired. Since then, there has been a decrease in staff members and customers, and this has probably been the worst of it."

If hell had frozen over, the cold air gracing the group was a good indicator of it.

Kakashi had gone completely silent, the only real signs that he was alive being his breathing and the quiet, invisible sipping of his tea.

"…Tomoko-chan," Obito started softly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I-I didn't want to bother you guys, especially during a time like that…" Tomoko answered with the same amount of quiet, shaking her head. "A-And back then, it wasn't as bad. Papa was always able to quiet the situation if it got to a certain point. The thing is…" Tomoko hung her head. "The whispers started getting more _personal_. Like today. Th-That was actually the quickest Papa has ever really fired anybody…" she gulped again. "Y-You kinda already heard some of those whispers anyway."

With that said and done, Tomoko went on to shrink in her seat, attempting to hide behind what little tablecloth there was.

Kei held back the urge to sigh. _Ah hell._ She decided to be honest. "Tomoko-chan, can I hug you?"

"…Eh?" was the confused reply, and Tomoko raised her head from the tablecloth to stare with wide eyes. "Um…okay?"

The reply was good enough of a sign for anyone. There wasn't a lot of distance between them, so Kei didn't have too much trouble in reaching over and pulling the civilian into a side-hug. Despite Tomoko's soft squeak of surprise, Kei made sure to adjust her position so that the hug itself wasn't uncomfortable over two chairs. It took a little while with the adjustments, but it worked.

"…Kei-chan?" Tomoko breathed, cheek on her shoulder.

"I'm not angry at you, Tomoko-chan, just worried. You didn't have to hide it," Kei said just as soft, shaking her head. "We could've helped you."

"…" Tomoko breathed again, a bit shakier this time. "I didn't want to bother you…" she repeated, clasping her hands together. "Everyone seemed so busy and troubled already, so I was hoping I could work with Mama and Papa to clean it all up before it got worse..." she leaned in a bit closer, sighing for the umpteenth time. "I'm sorry, Kei-chan."

"It's not your fault, Tomoko-chan, it's not," Kei tightened the hug. "It never was."

"Mm," was the quiet reply.

Minato silently took another bite of cake as silence reigned again.

…

_CHOMP._

"…Huh?" Kei looked up only to see Obito in the middle of chewing his dango, over-exaggerated grin on his face. "Obito?"

"The dango is good," Obito mumbled around his mouthful, still chewing. "I think it's a lot better than the place that I usually go to."

Tomoko raised her head from Kei's shoulder to blink wide-eyed. "Obito-kun?"

The Uchiha glanced at her to grin. "I'll see if I can tell some of the Uchiha Clan to come by! The dango's to die for, after all!"

Tomoko proceeded to turn pink. "Wait, what—"

"Obito's right," Minato added, having somehow ate through half of his cake in the timespan of the combined silence. "The strawberry shortcake is good, Tomoko-chan. I still have yet to introduce Kushina to you, so..."

The civilian openly gaped.

Kakashi was still silent, but his chakra was no longer buzzing.

 _Huh._ Kei decided to join in by reaching over Tomoko's shoulder for the plate of red bean mochi, grabbing one to bite into. The sweet flavor hit almost immediately, and considering how Obito took a lot of the original mochi found in the large bento she carried earlier, Kei savored it for as long as she could.

"Kei-chan?" Tomoko said again.

"It's good, Tomoko-chan, Hikari-bachan's mochi." Kei chewed a bit more before swallowing. "And since she has been learning from my Mom about tea, I don't think there's too much to worry about." She made sure to hug Tomoko again with the hand that wasn't sticky from the mochi flour. "I'll see what I can do to help too. You're not alone in this."

Kakashi curtly nodded with a grunt of agreement, not even hiding it behind his tea cup like before.

Tomoko tensed, looking around at everyone for a moment before finally relaxing, leaning into the hug a bit more. Then, just as Kei was reaching for another mochi, the civilian giggled.

Kei snorted, lowering her head to glance at the girl. "What, Tomoko-chan?"

Tomoko looked up at her with a smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

And this time, Kei knew she could believe that.

* * *

Having a team was something Namikaze Minato never fathomed in his life. It was true that he was _in_ a team before, but not really _leading_ one of his own.

And even when taking on a student beforehand, Hatake Kakashi was an odd one out of the few graduating Genin that year.

Taking on two more seemed like something beyond his dreams.

Then again, this new year already was showing its fair share of surprises.

His students already knowing one another in some way and form, getting along at least a little bit (which said a _lot_ considering how a lot of Genin teams started), and calming down completely when in the presence of one building.

All three sharing one mutual connection with one civilian girl.

Still, there was one question looming in his head after watching his students interact with said girl.

_How do we bring clientele back to a cafe that some of Konoha have already blacklisted?_

Now, 'blacklisted' may have been a bit much to describe the situation, but considering many of the whispers surrounding Nagareboshi and its residents long after the fall of the White Fang, how else could he sum up the whole thing?

The fact that his students were already angry about it was a large enough sign as is.

But when it also involved one of his old friends in the form of Sakumo, oh boy.

Something had to be done.

But what…? Recommendations could only go so far until rumors and whispers would pick up again.

While Kei, Obito, Kakashi, and Tomoko started up a game over their sweets, Minato cut another piece of strawberry shortcake to chew on and think.

_How can we bring more attention to the cafe?_

Another bite of cake as he glanced around.

As of right now, the cafe was about half-filled to its usual capacity, with only a few of the tables being used. And considering the lack of usual servers around to attend to said tables, customer service must have been lacking despite Judai and Hikari's best efforts.

It was only when he was scraping at the last bits of frosting on his plate that the idea came to him.

Jounin sensei could tease their students at least a little bit, right?

He hid a chuckle before standing up and approaching Hikari-san with money for the bill.

Team Minato's first mission would be here.

* * *

Two days later with a new morning, Hatake Kakashi ran out to the Training Grounds with no real expectations.

Even if his future teammates knew a fellow friend, that didn't mean he could fully trust them in battle yet. Especially considering his position as a Chunin for the past three years.

Why would he need to work with others when he had already proven himself to be a good ninja out in the field? Why would he have to break in two new Genin?

And hell—why did these Genin have to know where he lived? And the people he lived with?

It didn't matter that he already knew Gekkō Keisuke - for all he knew, she was just another Genin that he would have to deal with. And the idea was _not_ fun in the slightest.

So then.

Why, oh why, did their first D-Rank mission as Team Minato have to be…

Well, it had to happen after the 'real' Genin test Minato-sensei would put his teammates through the day before. As information analysis and conclusion formation, seeing his own stats via the Hokage's assessments was very much appreciated, considering there was only so much Sakumo and Judai-jichan could analyze on their own for him.

On the other hand, his teammates' reactions weren't really things he could comment on highly.

Kei? An internal _freak-out_ from the looks of it.

Obito? He could already read the glares through his paper long before he could see the Uchiha's expression.

At least training was easier to deal with than actually _talking._

Now if _only_ their first mission as Team Minato didn't include talking, he might've been a bit happier.

But when the announcement was said, he knew he had to go along with it.

Obito was the one to set off the bombshell. "So, Minato-sensei, what will our first mission be?"

Kakashi knew better than anyone that the excitement in the Uchiha's eyes would fade out quickly with how many D-Ranks a ninja could stack up. And knowing the combined skill levels of Team Minato, they wouldn't be seeing a real battlefield for quite a while, despite Kakashi being Chunin and Minato's status as Jounin.

Instead…

Minato-sensei grinned while raising a scroll. "I already have a mission lined up for us today. We're not training, but rather… helping."

"Helping?" Kei echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Had Kei caught on too? Kakashi wasn't fully sure. Even when knowing Kei for at least a year, it wasn't enough to really understand what was going on in her head. One moment, she could be silent and refuse to say anything else, and then another be laughing and hugging Tomoko without a single care in the world.

"Helping," Minato-sensei interrupted, grinning wider. "You all already know where we're going."

"We do?" Obito said in confusion.

"You do, Obito." Minato's grin could stretch for meters now if Kakashi didn't know any better, and for once, Kakashi didn't trust that smile. What was going on in his head -

And then Minato unfurled the scroll.

In plain black katakana were the words, " _Work at Nagareboshi Cafe as servers_ ".

…Really? _Really?_

"Really, sensei?" Kakashi echoes dryly. "I _live_ there already."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't help," Minato was clearly humming now as he brandished the unfurled scroll like a trophy to Kei and Obito as well. "We decided on that a few days ago, didn't we?"

Obito and Kei looked at each other before nodding eagerly.

Kakashi found himself sighing deeply. "…Understood," he said finally.

A mission was a mission.

Even if…

* * *

" _That girl…"_

" _Why is she still here?"_

" _Shouldn't she be with the traitor?"_

" _Is she a traitor too?"_

" _Who knows?"_

The whispers were getting louder again, and for once, I wasn't sure of what to make of it. Maybe it was the fact that this was my reality, my home that I had to get used to for the past nine years. Or the simple fact that with said reality came so much distrust.

I held back a sigh to instead gather the menus from yet another abandoned table. Apparently _one_ look around was enough for some customers to leave without ordering anything? I was tempted to call them out on bad etiquette if not for my own manners keeping me silent.

Who knew grudges could last for so long?

Even with my piano, it seemed…

I shook my head, trying to get the negativity out.

_What can I…_

The doors opened with a soft jingle.

"Tomoko-chan?"

I knew that voice. I turned towards the door, and the glint of a Konoha bandana along with bright black eyes was more than enough to confirm my suspicions.

" _Kei-chaaaaaan!"_

I was already jumping on her for a hug before I even realized what I was doing. All I could catch was her wide eyes before we collided somewhat painfully, and then my feet were swinging underneath our combined weight as my world swirled.

" _Waaaaah_! K-Kei-chaaaaan!"

She was spinning me _yet again_ , and it took all I had to just hang on _._ Nonetheless, I could catch her laughter as the world continued to spin around me, and if not for my head swirling mere moments after, I could've basked in it more.

It wasn't every day I could hear my reincarnation buddy laugh without a care in the world. And I wanted to treasure it with all my heart.

Nonetheless, _staaaars._ Not really the best thing to see in the corners of my eyes when at work.

"K-Kei-chaaaaan! You can put me— _waaaaah_ —d-down now~!"

Another laugh, almost as coarse as the wind itself, sounded before I finally found my footing. Even then, Kei was looking at me with the warmest expression I had seen in a while, grinning while keeping a grip on me. "Hi, Tomoko-chan. It's good to see you."

Even with my dizziness, the smile was contagious. "It's good to see _you_." A giggle was already leaving me from everything. "Though, what are you doing here, Kei-chan? I thought you and Team Minato were taking missions today."

"Thing is…" Kei rubbed the back of her neck before stepping to the side. "The team is with me for a mission _here."_

" _Here?"_ I echoed, glancing at Obito and Kakashi. Obito shrugged with a large grin while Kakashi…yep, refused to look at me. What did I do this time? "What do you mean by that—"

And then Minato-san took a step forward to unfurl a scroll right in front of my face. I had to gently move my head out of the way so that the bottom half wouldn't smack my face, but the message was loud _and clear_ on the scroll.

" _Work at Nagareboshi Cafe as servers_ …" I recited, before blinking. "Wait, what—"

"Surprise, Tomoko-chan!" Mama squealed from over my shoulder.

"WAAAH!" The scream wasn't even intentional, but nonetheless, I found my way behind Kei's shoulder, shivering. Since Kei had barely reacted aside from reaching over to pat my head, I could guess that she didn't mind — thankfully. "Wh— _Mama!?_ "

In the background, I could've sworn I could hear Kakashi facepalm.

Mama ended up grinning brightly, waving a finger in the air. "Call this a little surprise, sweetie, since we need all the help we can get! So, I talked with Minato-san," —I glanced up at the Jounin in question only to catch him rolling up the scroll with a warm smile in my direction— "And your father, and we came up with this! Team Minato helping out Nagareboshi Cafe!"

And then she had to _fist pump…_

_Mom, how ambitious can you get…?_

Kakashi sighed deeply, making the eyeroll that more obvious. Obito chuckled sheepishly with a shrug.

I glanced at Kei, and she just shrugged in return.

"Soooo…" The last thing I was expecting was for Mama to then brandish a bunch of uniforms reminiscent of butler cosplay costumes from Vy's days from behind her back, continuing to grin without a care in the world. With the differently colored bow ties, long aprons, and vests, I could already _hear_ Kei and Obito's protests before they could voice them. Mama was…well, she was always a force for fashion — even if I did give her ideas for all my kimono dresses. "Now, Team Minato! Head to the back and put these on! We have a long day!"

" _E-Ehhhh?!"_ echoed throughout the entire cafe.

* * *

"Kei-chan! Obito-kun! Kakashi-kun! Are you three done yet~?" Mama apparently was setting herself up to be quite the proud person if I could say so myself, tapping her sandal against the tiles while leaning against the bar counter.

Me? I was just trying not to fidget, instead gripping the hem of my sleeves while glancing past Mama's figure in the direction of the door. The silence wasn't really the greatest answer.

"Hikari, you should give them some more time…" Papa laughed sheepishly while drying a wine glass with a spare towel. "Even if you designed their clothes from scratch, it's still waiter uniforms — they're completely different from shinobi gear."

"Even then!" Mama crossed her arms to pout slightly. "Minato-san was able to put his own uniform on just fine!"

I just glanced over to the Jounin in question, who was currently standing at Mama's other side and tugging at his yellow bowtie. From the looks of it, Mama had specifically designed these Nagareboshi butler uniforms (if I could call them butler uniforms, anyway) so that each one had small differences for each member of Team Minato, including the differently colored bowties and the height of the apron. Considering that Minato-san was the tallest of the 4-man cell, he stood out even without his headband covering part of his spiky blond hair. "I-I'm kind of used to these kinds of clothes from all my missions, so it wasn't too bad…" Minato responded quietly, smiling. "It's still my students, though. It might take a bit more time."

"See, Hikari?" Papa accentuated with a smirk.

Mama stayed silent with a pout, instead tapping her sandal a bit louder.

"Ahaha…" I laughed slowly before walking over to the back door. "Kei-chan? Obito? Kakashi? Do you guys need help back there?"

"N-No, Tomoko-chan!" was the faint answer. From the sounds of it, it was Obito? "W-We got this! Just a minute!"

The sound of shoes tapping and lockers closing echoed afterwards, and I had to take a step back once the doorknob jiggled.

I took a breath once the door opened and the first shoe stepped out from behind the wood.

Once every one of my friends was in sight, I had to cover my mouth with my hands to hide my loud squeal.

_I'm so grateful to be alive and to see this right now._

No matter how I looked at it, my friends looked _gorgeous._ Matching black vests, white aprons, black dress shoes, and button-up collared shirts. The only real differences were personal touches from each member, with Obito still donning his orange goggles around his neck, Kei's cowlicks, and Kakashi's mask as examples. Aside from that, removing the Konoha headbands had certainly done a lot, because if I didn't know any better, it looked like my friends were part of a new wave of staff members for Nagareboshi, and I couldn't be happier.

"Ohhhhh, ohmigosh, you guys look _amazing,_ " I said finally, still covering my mouth to hold back the full squeal. "Thank you for letting me see this."

"It's just a job, Tomoko," Kakashi deadpanned, trying not to tug at his collar and instead pulling on his cuffs. "There's no need to thank us."

"Still!" The squeal was still coming out despite my best attempts, so I tried to clap my hands. Nonetheless, I ended up jumping up and down for quite a few minutes. Go me. "You guys look _awesome,_ and I'm so happy to know we're working together today!"

Obito laughed heartily while putting his hands on his hips. I never thought I would see him look so proud. "Well, you're welcome, Tomoko-chan!"

Kei just laughed sheepishly before tugging at her purple bowtie.

I couldn't help myself. I ended up saying a quick, "Kei-chan, canIhugyou?" before moving in to wrap my arms around her waist and just snuggle her.

My reincarnation buddy—helping me in the cafe. With a _butler_ outfit!

One of my secret dreams I never knew I had was right here. And it _finally came true….!_

"T-Tomoko-chan…" Kei groaned, caught between tugging at her new uniform and hugging me back from the sound of her voice. "You're not helping…"

"Mmmmm," I let her go with a huff, still swaying side to side from the excitement. "I'm just really, really, _really_ happy, Kei-chan." A giggle involuntarily left me as I twirled around in place. "My best friends are all here to help me out on a day that I thought would be bad! This is the greatest present ever!"

I didn't even have to look behind me to know that all the adults were sharing warm smiles.

Kei simply turned red. "Tomoko-chaaaaaan, you're _really_ not helping."

"Kei-chaaaaaan," I echoed with a wider grin. "I'm just being honest~"

"…"

She stared at me.

"…"

I stared back.

A wind flew through the building.

"Could we stop with the staring contests and just get to work already?" Kakashi deadpanned, sticking a hand between the two of us. "We still have a mission to do."

_Darn._

I glanced at Kakashi with a pout, only for him to raise his hands in what seemed like surrender while shrugging, not even meeting my eyes.

Kei sighed deeply, shaking her head when I glanced back at her. "Well, he's right," she said dully, raising a hand in the air. "Let's do this~! Or something."

"…Do you all even know how to start?" I answered in return.

Kei stared at me before glancing at Obito and Kakashi, and when both boys shook their heads, I nearly face planted into the floor.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

With each passing hour, it was easier to see why D-Rank missions were thought to be the bane of every _growing_ ninja's existence. Since no training or fighting was involved, it was really chores and so on for them. And considering how a lot of Academy students wanted to get out into the field long before even _graduating_ , the idea of chores as missions wasn't really something to look forward to.

Even for my reincarnation buddy Kei, this was no exception. Her ever…permanent half-smile, half-scowl said everything. Considering that a lot of customers flocked to me after her greetings at the entrance, well…

At least a lot more people were staying in the cafe because of Team Minato's help. A part of me had to give a lot of credit to Minato-san himself though, because he had a smile that could attract anyone. And taking off the headband seemed to make everyone warm up to him more otherwise, so that was a plus.

I was honestly surprised that Kakashi and Obito were doing a bit better than Kei was, with Kakashi monitoring the bar with Papa and Obito taking orders with Mama in the kitchen. Sure, they fumbled, with Kakashi expectedly staying away from the stronger-smelling alcohols and Obito occasionally putting off an order to help a fellow coworker who was in trouble to the point of delaying the food quite a few times (with some small customer complaints on the side), but they were still fine as staff members. They both seemed to be in their element, so why was Kei…

Well, Kei was sulking in some way. Maybe it was the outfit, or having to greet everyone who came into the cafe and offer menus. Or…was it the whispers? Or the various chakra signatures she had to sort through? I wasn't sure.

I knew at least that I would have to tell Mama to dial down the fancy cuff stuff later. For future uniform reference.

"…I'm sorry, Kei-chan," I said finally one hour, taking a few steps closer while holding a tray so that I would be in earshot. She blinked, pulling out of the scowl almost immediately before glancing at me. A few seconds of silence passed before she lightly bopped me on the head with a stray menu.

"Don't worry about it, Tomoko-chan." I glanced up, pushing the menu to the side only to catch another lopsided smile. "Let's just get to work."

A smile of my own involuntarily came over my face as I nodded. Then the doorbell jingled.

D-Ranks may be the bane of every ninja's growing experience, but for a civilian like me…

"Welcome to Nagareboshi Cafe!" We both ended up chirping.

It was the best opportunity to spend time with my friends.

And I wouldn't take it for anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Fluff, fluff, fluff. I can't believe I was able to belt out so much fluff. Especially in a plot-filled chapter. And in Kei's point of view. I'm just grateful I was able to write Kei a lot better here.
> 
> Nonetheless, D-Rank fun. I did cover this in a drawing for the CYB Sideblog a few months back when I was still the CP Anon, so you can find it there! Kei's butler outfit, anyways.
> 
> Lang, however, knows just as much as I do that the fun can't last forever and next chapter hits lucky number 13. So, don't get too much of your hopes up. The Plot is just getting started.
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to plan and write Chapter 13!


	13. Old & New Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei, her parents, the Chinatsugumi, Fuse Inuzuka, and Teikō belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> Since this chapter will be split up into two main perspectives, with the occasional commentary from other characters, the theme for this chapter is also split up.
> 
> For the battle-heavy sections and so on with Kei, I'll point you to Kyle Landry's piano solo cover of Asgore's Battle Theme from Undertale, since Lang has recently shared with me her appreciation for the game and its music. So, this choice in turn was inspired by her.
> 
> On the other hand, for the dramatic moments that Tomoko will be at the center of, despite not narrating, there is Osirosis Music's Orchestral Cover of His Theme, also from Undertale. This specific cover was also shared with me by Lang after a stray comment as to how I was like Frisk from the Pacifist Route of the game, and with how the original game can easily switch between hope and despair, I found this theme worked best for the chapter.
> 
> For in-story stuff, there's four main songs:
> 
> \- HypochondriacPiano's cover of the Pokémon Center Theme from the main Pokémon games,
> 
> \- Kyle Landry's solo of I Can Go the Distance from Hercules for Kei before the main mission and for Fuse in the aftermath,
> 
> \- The Chinatsugumi music is taken directly from CYB Chapter 23, being Blinding by Florence and the Machine,
> 
> \- And finally, the Synthesia version of Kyle Landry's Dearly Beloved (and yes, I know I'm using a lot of Kyle Landry's music here, but hey! He's an amazing pianist!)
> 
> Just note that for this chapter, trigger warnings related to: death, physical assault, and sexual assault are referenced, especially in the latter half of the chapter. This has been a warning.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Chapter 13: Old & New Wounds_

The first time Hitoshi Mamoru visited Nagareboshi Cafe, he wasn't expecting anything amazing. All that was going through his mind was getting out of his house, avoiding any contact with his so-called 'wife' and drinking his sorrows away.

His life wasn't supposed to be like this. This…boring. Unsatisfying.

Was it because he was plain? A ninja that tried to do more, only to stay a Genin and be unrecognized for anything but shit? Was it because of his appearance, with oily curled brown hair, barely-toned face and muscles, and the annoying _mole_ on his chin?

He didn't know. He probably would never know. Being a lower-ranked ninja did get him some respect, because the number of flings and so on in the past few years let him enjoy quite a bit.

If not for the arranged marriage, he may as well have been home free.

Mamoru still had no idea why his folks thought an arranged marriage would work out, if at all. But considering how everyone was about sharing their bloodlines after the Second War, he couldn't do anything but go along with it.

If only…

"Mamoru! Where's the rice?!"

"Mamoru, where's the soy sauce?! We need more soy sauce!"

'Mamoru' this, 'Mamoru' that. He honestly had no idea how a single woman could cause so much pain in just a few years. Hell, were _any_ of the women he met before as _loud_ as this one?

He didn't know. At all. The little ninja training he ever did unfortunately didn't help his case. It was on one of those bad days that he just had enough and walked out the door with all his composure thrown onto his face for the sake of avoiding that… that _banshee._

Probably dropping out after making Genin wasn't the greatest idea in the manual.

He just needed a walk. That was all.

Having a family seemed like such a _pain_ in the neck. Whoever said having one was a good thing really needed a sock stuck down their throat.

And yet when the neon sign of Nagareboshi Cafe came into view, he strangely walked in without a thought. And for what? It was everything a place he believed _shouldn't be._ The cafe was too bright, cheery, and overall _colorful_ for him to enjoy anything.

A good fling couldn't possibly happen in this—

"Hello there! What can I do for you?"

Once he turned his neck in her direction, birds started singing.

For the first time ever in his life, Mamoru felt his heart skip many beats as he struggled to find words. "Err, um, what's recommended?"

Why was he _stuttering—_

The woman in front of him inclined her head. Even when being about 10 cm shorter than him, she still was _pretty._ "That depends on what you want to do. In the meantime, would you like to take a seat?"

And when Hoshino Hikari smiled at him for the first time with those warm blue eyes, everything changed.

* * *

By the time March had rolled around, Gekkō Keisuke could say with much honesty that she was _bored._ Sure, Team Minato may have completed dozens upon dozens of D-Rank missions, Hayate got enrolled in the Academy (to many happy tears and hugs on Tomoko-chan's part, strangely), Obito and Kakashi managed to _not_ send each other to the hospital in the meantime, and she was able to upgrade to a rather nice kodachi courtesy of Miyako.

…After a rather painful bell test of her own and many loud worries expressed over the dinner table by the next family-friend meetup with the Hoshinos, and by extension, the Hatakes.

It basically went about something like…

" _Miyako, what were you even_ _ **thinking**_ _?"_ from Judai-jichan…

A relatively 'normal' silence from Kakashi when hearing the news…

Then again, he was still 'sulking' in Tomoko's point of view after Kei's recent thrashing of him in training with her new kodachi…

Countless glances in her direction from Wataru and Hikari-bachan, out of worry or something…

A pat on the head from Sakumo-san—

Kei was honestly guessing he was still going through some things of his own, and appreciated the gesture at least.

And Hayate and Tomoko-chan? Hugs. Lots and _lots_ of hugs.

It was at least a good meet-up.

—Which was probably why when Team Minato walked into the mission office that day, the announcement almost felt like it came out of left field.

The Third Hokage had puffed on his pipe once or twice, allowing thick gray smoke to float up into the air before glancing at the various scrolls scattered in front of him on the table. "Hm," he muttered around the pipe. "Today, we have a few C-ranked missions available. Minato-kun, do you believe your team is ready for one?"

_What? Really?_

"I do, Hokage-sama," Minato proceeded to answer seriously.

Considering the Gekkō Family's financial situation, some thirty thousand ryō _would_ be nice… Even if Wataru had taken up a fuinjutsu consultant position at _Cook's Ninja Tools and Crafts_ , high paying work was still rare due to the shop being new. It was only with Kei taking up so many D-rank missions and the pointers of Judai-jichan in the early stages that she felt like the family had gotten by, so the extra money would help.

Not to mention the field experience.

On one hand, hooray! The team could get out on a _real_ mission.

On the other hand, _holy fucking shit,_ this was a C-Rank mission. And judging by canon standards with the Land of Waves, prospects were 50-50 or better for the danger level to skyrocket.

…Not that it would stop more worries coming her way from extended family.

Kei could already predict Tomoko's answer to the whole thing.

A very loud, squeaky, and worried, " _C-RANK?!"_

 _Brrr._ Kei resisted the urge to scratch the inside of her ear for the sake of keeping up proper appearances.

Despite her inner thoughts, the Hokage continued to puff at his pipe. "Very well. At the moment…" He went on to glance at the scrolls on the mission desk before lightly touching three specific rolls. "At the moment, we have three C-rank missions that should be in your team's capabilities. But considering this is your first one, I believe it should be best to keep it in the Land of Fire for now."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she said instinctively alongside Obito and Kakashi, only to blink and stare at one another because the unison was a bit creepy.

Minato hid his snickers behind his hand. Much to the glaring expense of Kei and her teammates. Once they had turned their heads in his direction, the Jounin diverted their attention with a quick and hasty, "What are the mission parameters, Hokage-sama?"

Even with the small bit of tension in the room, the Hokage didn't seem to mind, choosing a blue scroll to unfurl it on the table. With the scroll fully opened, the Third proceeded to speak around his pipe. "The particular band of merchants you will be working with is known as the Chinatsugumi, who operate along the borders of the Land of Fire. Despite their not being tied to any city, they have provided the village with supplies during wartime for the past two generations." In the middle of a breath, he turned his head to make eye contact with everyone in Team Minato. "With Kumogakure and Iwagakure increasing their aggression toward our borders, the lieutenant of the caravan's operations as well as the head of security have asked for an escort between their home base of Mount Soragami and our village." Once the Third finished his sentence, he flicked the scroll closed before tossing it at Minato, who proceeded to catch it with ease. "The estimated length of the mission is three weeks if all goes well, and the most likely opponents would be bandits driven out of their usual hiding places."

 _Huh?_ "Not enemy ninja?" Kei found herself blurting out.

"No, Keisuke-kun," the Third answered, grandfatherly smile already in place. "Mount Soragami is well within the borders of the Land of Fire." Then he paused. "But don't take bandits lightly. As your first C-ranked mission, you will be learning as you go."

Instinctively, Kei bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

This was going to be a monster to handle no matter what kind of mission it was. Kei could only hope nothing bad would happen.

But knowing Team Minato's luck in canon, that hope was _very_ slim.

* * *

After a quick team debrief on the roof and some last-minute training with Obito later, Kei steeled herself when walking into Nagareboshi Cafe that evening to share the news.

Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any chaos in sight once the doors were pushed away, the soft quiet interiors being a good sign. Along with the few ninja at the bar and some quiet civilians at the tables surrounding the stage, it seemed peaceful enough.

And, sure enough, Tomoko-chan was at center stage again, playing a small tune that Kei could vaguely piece together as something _Pokémon_ -related.

 **…The Pokémon Center theme? Really?** said the Dreamer.

Well, considering the upcoming news _and_ the ongoing war, a peaceful theme was a nice touch.

It was because of said peace that Kei tried to be as quiet as possible when walking towards the stage and pulling over a chair, waving at Hikari and Judai in the process. Thankfully, her efforts paid off in Tomoko not noticing her presence, continuing to play the song almost obliviously. Satisfied, Kei leaned back against the chair, crossed her arms, and waited.

The music notes wafted through her ears for a few more moments before the last chord was played. Almost like the original _Pokémon_ game, the jingle echoed in the air before Tomoko folded her hands in her lap with a sigh.

Kei cleared her throat.

"…Eh?" and with that said, Tomoko turned around, only to nearly jump when focusing on her. "K-Kei-chan? When did you get there?"

"A few minutes ago," Kei proceeded to rub the back of her head. Thank goodness that Tomoko wasn't screaming. "Think we could talk really quick?"

"Um," Tomoko said, before moving her right hand to have it hover over the nearest privacy seal, coincidentally at the right end of the piano keys. "Casual or serious talk?"

"Serious talk," Kei said immediately.

Tomoko didn't even hesitate in pressing her entire palm down on the tiny square, and a soft flare of chakra went up in the air before Kei felt her shoulders relax. The civilian in front of her put on a small smile before inclining her head. "So, what is it, Kei? I thought you were getting a mission today."

"Thing is, I did…" Kei rubbed the back of her head again. "But, uh…"

"'Uh' what?" Tomoko prodded.

_Please don't yell. Please._

Kei glanced to the side to focus on the nearby cafe wall before letting the bomb drop. "Uh, Team Minato just…well, we got a C-rank mission coming up tomorrow."

There was silence so deep that she could've heard a pin drop, if anyone had been carrying them for some reason.

Tomoko's jaw dropped almost comically before she lifted it with her hand to close her mouth. Then, unexpectedly, all her response ended up being was a quiet and shaky, " _What?_ "

… _She's not yelling. Good._

Kei tried to grin, but it came out more forced and false with each passing second. "Team Minato's going on its first C-Rank tomorrow. I might be gone for three weeks, or a little over a month depending on how it goes."

Tomoko opened her mouth again, only to close it and bite the bottom of her lip. "…Oh," she said in the same quiet tone. "It…it was going to happen sooner or later, wasn't it?"

Kei was trying not to break out into a cold sweat and instead inclined her head. "Tomoko-chan?"

_Something's wrong._

The last thing Kei was expecting was for Tomoko to turn her head away and wipe at her eyes with her kimono sleeve, sighing. "I-I'm sorry about this," was the quiet reply. The civilian shook her head, wiping at her eyes one more time before turning back with a hesitant smile. Kei didn't miss the red rimming Tomoko's eyes when making eye contact. "I…I knew this was coming sooner or later, but that doesn't make it any less hard to digest."

"I'm sorry, Tomoko." Kei rubbed the back of her head.

"Wh-Why are you apologizing?" Tomoko laughed softly, anything but mirth in the sound. "I-I'm the one tearing up here…and it's just a mission…" The civilian shook her head. "And…and I know you're going to come back. I know that. I just—" she shook her head again, a bit more vigorously this time. "I just can't help but feel worried, concerned… _bleh_."

' _Bleh' is a good way to sum up this whole thing._

Kei exhaled before reaching over and poking the girl's forehead.

Once again, the results paid off.

"Waaaah!" Tomoko lurched back on her piano bench almost immediately, hands going up to her forehead in a clear sign of surprise. "K-Kei-chan?"

"What's with those tears, huh?" Kei snorted while poking Tomoko again in the head via the cracks in her hands, accompanied by another squeak. "Even though we're gonna be gone, and we'll miss you, it's not like you're gonna be any more alone than I am. What about Rin-chan and my little brother, huh?"

The civilian blinked signs of tears away only to turn a dark pink. "O-Oh. Um, I…well…" Tomoko proceeded to turn away to hide her face, going silent.

 **…She forgot** , the Dreamer deadpanned.

 _Pfft._ Kei snorted again. "Tomoko-chan, it's a C-rank, but in the end, it's still just a mission. I'll be back before you know it."

Tomoko took in a deep breath before wiping at her eyes again with her kimono sleeve, turning back with a brighter smile. "Okay, okay. I-I got it. Just…just let me play you a song before you go for the night."

"Surprise?" Kei asked with a grin in return.

"Surprise." Tomoko smiled again before turning to the keys and pressing the first note.

Kei sat back in her chair to close her eyes. It would be awhile before she could get this kind of experience again, so it seemed alright to take it all in.

Music _was_ a blessing after all. Especially when her friend kept their old world alive through it.

 _Hercules_ was a great choice.

...Even if Tomoko was playing a little faster than usual. Kei decided to not comment on the fact that the civilian was still blushing.

It was better to sit back and relax when they both could still do so.

With all the music, Kei could make out one phrase from her sensor abilities alone.

_Be safe out there._

* * *

"…Mamoru?" the lady went on slowly. He tried not to tense up, only allowing himself a single sigh before responding.

"Yes, honey?" He was honestly hoping he didn't come off _too_ sarcastic, or heaven knows how much his ears were going to bleed.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to pick up on it and only tapped her ladle against the nearby soup pot. "Where are you going?"

"Meeting up with some old friends for lunch. I'll be back by dinner tonight," he said smoothly.

"...Lunch? _Lunch?_ " Oh no, it was about time to get out. She was not sounding happy. "Mamoru, I'm almost _done_ cooking lunch, and now you—"

" _Lalalalala,_ I can't hear you dear, the wind is really strong today, gottago, bye!" And with that said, he made a quick dash out the door, only able to catch the faintest protest before the Konoha winds blew past his face. He tried not to gag at the closest leaf landing in his mouth, and instead walked as briskly as he could towards Nagareboshi Cafe.

Had he been more focused on his surroundings, he might've noticed the small black-haired girl running past him.

Instead, once the familiar red doors came into view, he did his best to not slam them open and walked in to glance around. And, sure enough, his favorite waitress was at the bar, pouring a random ninja a cup of tea.

The bubble-blue kimono just _made_ her curves stand out so much more…!

"Hikari-chaaaan?" Oh great, he was _cooing._ How bad was he going to—?

The lady looked up at him with those warm blue eyes, smiling. "Hi, Hitoshi-kun! Welcome back to Nagareboshi Cafe!"

Yep. He was starting to fall _badly._

_There's no way I'm letting the banshee at home know about this._

Mamoru brushed off his thoughts to grin in return, trying to hide what excitement he could to walk over to a nearby stool. "Could I get the usual cocktail?"

"Pineapple mixed with the usual wine?" Hikari playfully rolled her shoulders while brandishing an eager fist pump, and Mamoru tried to look everywhere _but_ below her neck. Kinda hard when the kimono— "Alrighty, just a minute!"

If he could come here every day…

Hell, he was already in heaven.

* * *

"So, Tomoko-nee, you'll be visiting more often?" Hayate was looking up at me with big and curious brown eyes, and I had to hold back a happy squeal to smile at him.

"I'll try my best, Haa-chan," and even with that said, I found myself wrapping an arm around his shoulders to snuggle him in a side hug, humming. "Your big Sis did recommend that, and since you're in the Academy now, why not?"

"Okay then!" was his energetic reply, and I had to stop myself from preening to instead hug him a little more. Even at seven years old, he was _still_ so cute…!

Wataru-jichan, who had made a small work station for himself in the corner of the kitchen table, let out a loud laugh.

Nearby, Miyako-bachan held back a chuckle of her own to glance over her shoulder in my direction while washing dishes. "Does that mean you will be joining in training too, Tomoko-chan?"

… _Oh dear. I didn't consider that._

I tried not to sweat. "Um, sure?"

With Miyako-bachan's glint in her eye, I tried not to gulp.

_I'm doomed. Even if I need this, I'm still doomed._

* * *

Kei tried not to shiver and blinked while rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

"Kei?" Obito glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Kei said flatly while hefting her pack a bit more. "I just had a feeling Mom started something."

 **Knowing her, probably,** added the Dreamer.

Kakashi snorted from the front of the group before saddling forward with Minato.

This kind of back-and-forth chatter along the road continued for the next few days. Along with the expected watch shift changes during the night and the smaller Hashirama trees left behind them, the trek wasn't all that eventful.

…Well, aside from seeing Mount Soragami upfront and likening it to Mount St. Helens from the old world at least, and weirding out most of her team with her knowledge on volcanoes.

What? Given their lives, any knowledge was useful. And volcanoes were cool.

It was only with the third day of travel that things started heating up. No pun intended.

…Okay, maybe a little.

Anyways. The Chinatsugumi. Considering they had a large fortress built at one of the smaller peaks of Mount Soragami, it was definitely a _village_ more than an actual base. With the many interim walls and buildings squished onto what might've been another small mountain along with the flags with large characters spelling out " _Sorayama-no-Sato"_ , or "Village of the Sky Mountain", they certainly didn't go about the 'hidden' aspect.

Especially since they were anything _but_ hidden.

After Minato talked with some of the gate guards, the team went about leaping into the main stronghold as a shortcut to get to the main longhouse. Which…looked more like a _castle_ than a longhouse.

Kei had a strange feeling Tomoko would've wanted to see this if not for her civvie status.

And then, it was meeting the titular Chinatsu herself inside the longhouse. With blond hair lighter than Minato's, tied up in a knot at the back of her head except for a fringe and two side locks framing her face; a paler skin complexion than the aforementioned Jounin _and_ Obito combined; she was basically a merchant queen.

About ten feet in, she had looked up and Kei tried not to lurch back.

Her eyes were a pale gold.

Now, Naruto canon, other anime, and reality in general from the old world had already proved that there could be many different eye colors. The fact that Tomoko had blue eyes a la Sora from _Kingdom Hearts_ was living proof of that. Not to mention dojutsu like the Sharingan, Byakugan, and Rinnegan.

But who could actively say they had _gold_ eyes? The only other person Kei could name off the top of her head was _Orochimaru,_ and with the serpent pupils, it said a lot. Chinatsu had eyes almost like a bird of prey, staring through everyone's souls.

…Well, not like Kyubey, but you get the idea.

Not to mention the strange sense of deja vu. Even though they had only met, why did she seem so _familiar?_

Despite redirecting the thought to the Dreamer, she only shrugged.

Along with the cold tingle of the almost completely _absent_ chakra signature from Chinatsu.

It was common knowledge that everyone and everything in the Naruto world had chakra. Whether it was a rock or even a bird, as proven with Sage Jutsu that used Nature Chakra. After the Chakra Fruit was consumed by Kaguya and its powers spread around the world with her sons, it was natural. Heck, even civilians could have coils of their own, despite never touching a jutsu or making a hand sign. Tomoko was clear proof of that specific example, even if hers was a lot more wacky and colorful because of the music and emotion influencing it.

But Chinatsu. Chinatsu and her sister, Misaki, who later met up with them about the mission—they didn't have _any_ signatures at all. Nothing. Zilch. As if they were ghosts, walking through the area.

Kei couldn't help the shiver going up her spine.

* * *

A part of Mamoru wasn't sure whether to be extremely grateful or cautious about the fact that everything seemed to be going _too_ smoothly in his life.

Even with the banshee still yelling at him every now and then, with excuses about staying home with her and just figuring out this so-called ' _family_ ', he couldn't deny the fact that he was happier.

Lighter, even, if he could say that much. _Livelier._

And it was all because of another woman. One _civilian_ woman.

Hoshino Hikari.

Before meeting her, Mamoru would've thought that all civvies were fools. Ridiculous, useless, dull-faced bitches who could rot for all he cared. They didn't contribute much to the village aside from the economy and the occasional opinion to a nearby Jounin or police guy, whispering far too much for their own goods. _Fuck_ , they even went as far as to spread what a lot of the ninja population knew as " _the rumor mill."_ Not helped by how they ostracized him after his initial failures as a Genin.

Just…Just _ugh._

But Hikari. _Hikari._ Why didn't he meet this woman sooner?

She was almost like a _saint._ An angel.

"Hitoshi-kun?" Speaking of the _not-_ devil, she always made his last name sound like music rolling off her tongue with every greeting, making his entering slump almost completely disappear with every visit. With her quick, happy wave in his direction, it was easy to smile back at her with all the kindness he couldn't use in the past few decades. "Welcome back to the cafe! Do you want the usual?"

"Yes, please~! With a cherry on top!"

Just seeing her wasn't enough anymore. Just _watching her_ , talking with her, observing her every movement in the cafe, whether it was cooking something or even—

"Here's your cocktail! Go ahead and enjoy while I go on stage! We need more music in here!"

Even _performing on stage_ with no one but herself.

Hikari was _drop-dead gorgeous_ , but watching wasn't enough _._ Now that he thought about it, it never _was_ enough. Those blue eyes, that long black hair, delicate hands. Mamoru wanted to kiss her, embrace her, and take her until she couldn't even walk up that stage anymore. The idea sounded nice enough.

And even in a kimono and _white_ _apron_ , how could a simple _violin_ enhance her beauty? With her hair tied up in a taller side ponytail and the graceful movement of her bow, her solo performance seemed that more radiant.

Mamoru already knew by the end of her violin solo that he would have to look for rings. And a lawyer.

The banshee couldn't even compare now.

He had to have Hikari for himself.

* * *

Nearby in the back room of the cafe, Judai found himself shuddering.

"What the hell…?" He scratched the back of his head before glancing back at the supply box he was about to pick up, sighing. "I hope this is _only_ a bad feeling and nothing else…"

* * *

When Team Minato got the news of the possible mission upgrade to B-rank in case of any trouble from Iwa and Kumo (in turn from the Chinatsugumi coming to an agreement with the Leaf about its services extending only to the Leaf and its allies after the war), Kei couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach.

Not helped by Kakashi's vehement questioning. "Are we going into this situation blind?"

Nor by Minato's calm demeanor. "We're not blind, Kakashi. We know quite a bit. I'll explain more when we're on the road."

… _So, we're going to be sitting ducks while he knows everything?_

Kei wasn't even surprised that Kakashi and Obito were right at her side judgmentally glaring up at the Jounin with her.

"We'll be fine," Minato added, not even flinching at said glares, making Kei that much more tempted to stare holes into his head.

Knowing Team Minato's track record in canon, or canon trends in general, things weren't looking good. At this point, Kei couldn't even fault Tomoko for crying at the thought the day before they had left.

_Ugh._

Thankfully, the first _and_ second days on the road passed without too much incident. Well, aside from Obito getting a pointed comment from Chinatsu about how little work they were getting to defend a caravan that, to its defense, moved only a mile an hour because of all the people and cargo it was carrying. Not to mention that it was being pulled by oxen.

People in the old world were probably _really_ spoiled by cars and Amazon Prime.

Nonetheless, the fact that Chinatsu continued to show no sign of any chakra didn't help Kei's tense shoulders. Or how everyone in the Chinatsugumi thus far, including Chinatsu herself, her sister Misaki, Shirozora, Nanami, Akira, Zakuro, and Rikuto, gave off far too much of the 'deja vu' vibe.

What was going on out here?

Zakuro's later singing that night hit the mark in terms of the deja vu rounding on its head. The familiar song, ' _Blinding_ ,' confirmed that. If not for Kei already being used to Tomoko's music (which she still recalled her heart beating _hard_ during their first meeting on that stage), she probably might've broken down right then and there.

Kei somehow _knew_ the Chinatsugumi. And they her. How? Reincarnation was a fickle thing never really explored in the old world, but could such a miracle happen more than twice?

She wasn't sure. Especially since reincarnation for her own case was such a strange event in of itself.

Minato and Obito's quiet reassurances didn't help much. Neither did Kakashi's scathing commentary, though Minato was quick in dropping the Chunin on his butt if he got too rowdy. Kei was honestly thankful that Kakashi wasn't acting out as much as he could have considering Team Minato had yet to _really_ visit the hospital because of some team antic, but that didn't mean the rough dynamic wasn't grating.

At least when a certain someone was around to monitor the trio that was supposed to be a team unit under Minato ( _cough—_ Tomoko-chan or Minato-sensei— _cough_ ), they could get along. And on a mission, Kakashi at least _tolerated_ Obito and Kei to a certain extent.

It would've been okay if not for the third day seeing it all go into near hell.

Now, the morning started off normal. Eat a quick breakfast, pack up camp, and then walk with the caravan again to its destination in Konoha. Simple and sweet enough, in its own way considering the ninja lifestyle and how _anything_ could go wrong.

It was an hour after lunch that the first warning screamed its way into her head.

Kakashi's head whipped behind him, in pursuit of a scent Kei was sure she herself couldn't smell. Obito's chakra jumped into alert after so many hours of quiet boredom, and Minato-sensei's chakra was already rolling like a hurricane.

Then multiple incoming chakra signatures, running in like a pack of _hyenas_ at a speed Kei could barely register, were already dinging in her thoughts. And when they were in _all directions,_ she was already putting a hand on her kodachi handle.

A piercing scream of rage sounded from the head wagon before everything blurred together.

Chinatsu fell out of the head wagon first, effortlessly keeping away a man on her own terms while almost _glowing_ with her chakra.

Then the other Chinatsugumi started _moving_ , cutting through enemy after enemy. And considering their status as _not-shinobi_ , their dispatching of _shinobi_ enemies was nothing to laugh at.

Adding in a pulse of heat that was clearly not Obito's Great Fireball on the Uchiha's side of the wagon, the clashing sounds of metal kunai and screaming, the many _pops_ of displaced air from Minato-sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique, and Kakashi's part of the wagon only displaying flying body parts and flecks of blood, there was so much to where focusing on one thing was almost hard.

There were _way_ too many enemies to sense clearly, despite being able to make out ally from enemy.

Then the first mook approached her while she had both her hands positioned on her sword. With his brown hair, a long scar stretching across one cheekbone in the form of a white line to contrast with the tanned face, he might as well have been four to five years older than her. Possibly 13-14? Nonetheless, with the spark in his black eyes, wide, four-toothed grin, and bright chakra, Kei knew that the guy wasn't taking her seriously. Possibly seeing her as the Achilles' heel of the main Team Minato formation, no doubt.

When she later thought on the whole encounter, he wasn't entirely _wrong_ , considering skill levels and the situation at hand, but that didn't make it any less _insulting_.

Without hesitation, Kei drew her sword.

_Gekkō-style Leaf Kenjutsu: Hunting Tiger Strike._

The teen's incoming fingers were sliced clean off. And then, before either of them could process anything or _everything_ in general, Kei was already flipping her kodachi around and aiming upwards at his throat with her next swing.

_Gekkō-style Leaf Kenjutsu: Curve of the Moon._

Blood sprayed everywhere and everything, dying the ground and drenching Kei in arterial spray. She didn't even have enough time to process the whole thing that could've come out of an old _horror movie_ because of everyone else around her, and the reinforcements were _fast._

 **Enemy closing in on your six!** The Dreamer screamed, taking the lead while Kei was just trying to deal with the _red_ in her eyes. _Ugh — fuck, blood in my eyes. Gross._

Being blinded _sucked._ Even if she was still a sensor and could map out where her opponents were enough to avoid being clobbered, she wasn't able to realize how she was being pushed towards the river until she was already falling.

 _Shit, shit,_ _ **shit**_ —

Being stuck underwater with someone holding you down by the throat was _not fun._ Traumatic really, considering that Kei was still _nine_ and her only weapon in the form of her kodachi was dropped somewhere in the struggle with the person standing on top of her, but —

_Water Prison Jutsus are so much_ _**worse** _ _. Fuck Kiri-nin. And my life._

Even if it cleared the blood from her eyes, that didn't make the situation any more better. No one was really close enough in Kei's opinion to free her from the prison a la Team Seven when saving Canon Kakashi from Zabuza in the Land of Waves Arc, and she didn't have enough chakra to channel through herself to break the jutsu on her own like Team Gai from the Kazekage Rescue Arc either.

That didn't mean she would sit around being helpless.

Kei had gotten this far, with the help of her knowledge, the Dreamer, family, and friends. There was _no_ way it was ending here.

' _Be safe out there'_ seemed to echo in Kei's mind more and more now.

She had people waiting for her. There was no point in dying now.

It was probably with that determination in mind that 'Bullshitting the Fish Test' came back to help. Focusing on making the air _work_ with her in the water instead of the usual ways around this whole fucking mess.

**I'll focus on channeling chakra into our tenketsu. Direct it!**

Kei could do that.

And with the blur of time and the eventual breath that lead to so many things happening at once while she was holding it, Kei wasn't sure of what to think. The Water Prison exploded in a mass of water, someone hefted her up like a sack of rice, and Shirozora was holding up his arms like a Waterbender.

Sound came back in a painful rush along with the headache and needed air filling her burned lungs.

 _ **FOCUS, DAMMIT**_ _,_ screamed the Dreamer.

"Kei, are you alright?" Minato said softly.

… _I…I-I just fucking_ _ **killed**_ _someone._

Kei couldn't stop herself from taking a page from Tomoko's book and _throwing_ herself at her Jounin sensei while also pulling Obito and Kakashi into the fray. Minato let out a soft "Oomph", but immediately wrapped his arms around all of them, keeping the reality away for a while. A hand that Kei couldn't recognize immediately was ruffling her hair, but it was nice.

For once, it felt _safe._

She buried herself into Minato's flak jacket.

Chinatsu sounded quiet while breaking the silence. "First kill?"

From the close distance, Kei could feel her sensei move from nodding in agreement, the same hand continuing to ruffle her hair.

"Ah," Chinatsu continued in the same solemn tone.

 _'Ah'_ was the biggest understatement of the century.

* * *

Mamoru was almost ready. His lawyer was already getting the papers together for the next few weeks, the banshee was strangely getting quieter (probably because it looked like he was working instead of his usually disrespecting her), and he already had a ring on order from the most extravagant jewelry store he could find in the village.

Fuck the fact that it used all his old shinobi savings. Fuck the fact that he was skipping the dating phase. All that was on his mind was seeing _Hikari-chan_ again.

The woman that would soon only be _his._ His and _his alone._

Mamoru had to swallow his spit by the time he was on the road to Nagareboshi Cafe, because the sight of a former ninja _salivating_ did not sound great in his head.

Then again, once she opened those _legs…_

Oooooh.

It was with that in mind that he broke his own daily routine to visit near closing hours, just to see if things would still be the same.

And, sure enough, with only a peek through the door, there she was. Hoshino Hikari, cleaning up the bar with a towel while her black side ponytail continued to frame her face. The blue-ribbon bow adorning her left hair strand only made her stand out so much more, and Mamoru used all his self-control to hold down his urges while taking a step back.

He could visit another day. It was late, and he needed to check on his preparations.

_The clothes shops should still be open, right…?_

Had he not left, he might've noticed the little black-haired girl taking a step towards the piano as well as the nine-year old ninja approaching the cafe behind him.

* * *

For her first day back in the village, Gekkō Keisuke could easily say she _felt_ tired. Not _physically_ tired, no. Since she did make it home to warm arms from Miyako, Wataru, and Hayate for one thing, and proceed to snooze away on the couch in a well-deserved nap.

No, this time it was solely mental exhaustion.

So much had happened, and it still felt like a blur. Her first kill at the tender age of _nine_ , finding out the Chinatsugumi were in a sense reincarnations of her old self's _characters_ (who previously found life on _paper_ and not in real life), the subsequent hospital check-up and what could essentially be Yamaguchi-sensei's cutting off ties when it came to a full medical-nin career, _as well_ as meeting Iruka and Yūgao as Hayate's first Academy friends…?!

It felt like so much. Even after talking with Miyako about her first kill and everything that came afterwards, it didn't change the fact that Kei had _killed_ someone barely three to four years older than her.

Which was why when heading to Training Ground Three with her pack holding a bag of apples for another meeting with Team Minato, Kei decided to take a detour towards the shopping district.

Despite the darkness shrouding the sky in the form of nighttime, Konoha was _pretty_ with the soft street lights and the occasional buzzing of the passing insect. Nagareboshi Cafe was apparently no exception to this rule, with its usual neon sign a soft green hue accompanied by a side lamp illuminating the entrance and the doorbell with an ethereal yellow glow. Since the sign was still flipped to ' _OPEN_ ,' Kei grabbed the doorknob to twist open.

And sure enough, Hoshino Tomoko looked up from her cleaning the piano at the sound of the door opening. Even if it had been a month, the Leafeon-themed kimono dress and green hair ribbon were _dead-ringers_ for her civilian friend. Those blue eyes then widened a significant margin, enough for Kei to make out the faint image of her own figure in the pupils.

"K-Kei-chan?" Tomoko breathed, before taking a step forward, clearly looking like she wanted to jump off the stage and run over.

… _Nope._ Kei made sure to raise a hand in a clear form of 'Stop,' before the civilian could start running, and motioned to her backpack. "No tackle-hugs please, Tomo-chan."

She didn't even realize she had shortened the civilian's name before Tomoko started to approach her again, albeit in an energetic walk.

"Kei-chan…" Tomoko breathed again, bright smile on her face before finally stopping in front of her, inclining her head. "Um, could I still hug you?"

Kei snorted before shrugging off her backpack on a nearby table. Then she opened her arms. "Go ahead."

Tomoko beamed before walking into Kei's arms, wrapping her own around Kei's middle and snuggling her cheek into her shoulder. Thankfully, the hug was soft, and Kei took a moment to breathe in the scent of Nagareboshi Cafe and the idea of _peace_ again. "Oh Kei-chan, welcome back," was the quiet mumble into her hoodie. "I missed you."

Kei hugged her a bit tighter, threading her fingers through the civilian's hair. "I missed you too."

Tomoko then slowly and hesitantly untangled herself from the embrace to look up at Kei with a shaky smile. "Now I know I'm happy to see you, Kei, but…" she inclined her head again. "Are you okay? You look—"

"Not now, Tomo-chan," Kei raised the same hand as before, shaking her head. "Not now."

_It's been a long enough day already._

Despite the clear doubt swirling in her eyes, Tomoko wisely let it drop by taking a step back and instead reaching over to take Kei's lowered hand. Apparently, she wasn't questioning the name change? "Okay," she started gently, smiling a bit brighter. "Just lemme play you a song before Nagareboshi closes for the night. You deserve something after coming back safe and sound."

_That is, as safe and sound a girl who just made her first_ _**kill** _ _on the battlefield could be._

**You're being too negative** , the Dreamer said.

Kei ignored her in favor of following her friend to the stage and taking a seat next to the grand piano, now only dimly lit by a single spotlight from the ceiling. Hikari-bachan had already noticed the backpack and later deposited it by Kei's side, which saved time in standing up, thankfully.

Tomoko folded her skirt underneath herself while sitting down, having already let go of Kei's hand before pushing back the piano cover. Kei leaned back in her chair as soon as the civilian gave her one last smile.

"I hope you'll enjoy this, Kei-chan. I saved this song specifically for you."

All Kei could think at that moment was a dull " _Huh?"_ before Tomoko pressed the first keys. And with each passing chord, she could already figure out the basic tune and _name_ of the music.

_Dearly…Dearly Beloved?_

It felt like a whirlwind of soft color flowing through her, washing away any doubt she had about Tomoko's possible reaction to the chaos of the mission and herself in general, leaving a pleasant feeling in her chest. With the increasing tempo and intensity of the notes being played, Kei closed her eyes only to picture a boy in mostly black clothes, eating a bar of blue _sea-salt_ ice cream with his other blonde self on top of a clock tower.

 **Kingdom Hearts…** the Dreamer breathed, for once quiet.

Kei could never forget those days where her old self and her brother bashed Heartless in without a care in the world. It was invigorating, inspiring, and most importantly, _fun._

For once, Kei felt _relieved. Happy_.

Once the last chord was left hanging in the air, Kei opened her eyes only to see Tomoko turn to look at her hesitantly, inclining her head again.

"How…how was that?" she said softly.

**Does she even need to ask?**

Kei grinned before reaching over to pull her friend into a hug. "That was _perfect,_ Tomo-chan. Arguably the best song you've ever done. Thank you."

_Thank you for being with me._

Tomoko squeaked, clearly not expecting the gesture, before giggling and wrapping her arms around Kei's middle. "Of course, Kei-chan. Welcome home."

_I'm happy to have helped you._

* * *

A few weeks later, in the middle of April, Mamoru had finally done it. He had the perfect suit to wear, the ring was tucked into his pants pocket, and the lawyer was on time. Once he would leave that _banshee's_ house, the lawyer would walk in like the arrogant ass he made himself out to be, brandishing those divorce papers, and then he would be _free._

Mamoru's new apartment already had most of his belongings in it, just needing unboxing more than anything else, and had a comfy bed ready.

He tried not to finger the ring box too much in his pocket on the familiar walk to Nagareboshi Cafe, instead putting on his safest grin so that no one would be suspicious.

All he was hoping for was that Hikari-chan would be swept off her feet, and then _accept._ Then it would be a wonderful night of showing her what he _really_ felt about her, and she would then need a _wheelchair…!_

Heheheh.

He pushed those red doors open after jiggling the doorknob, and sure enough, Nagareboshi Cafe was somewhat crowded. That's fine. He would have witnesses to his amazing plan!

Hikari-chan herself was serving another customer tea when he made the first move.

_Red roses. Now!_

Apparently, she wasn't expecting the large bouquet to be thrust into her face, and took a step back before blinking. "Wh— _Hitoshi-kun?_ " Wow, and even her _surprised_ voice sounded thrilling. "What are all these for?"

"For you, Hikari-chan!" He poured on the charm while lightly pushing the bunch into her hands. Hikari took the bouquet almost gingerly, crinkling the plastic packaging with those soft fingers before glancing at him over all the flowers.

"I-I appreciate this, Hitoshi-kun, but wha—"

She stopped talking as soon as he got to one knee and rummaged into his pocket to take out the box.

Everyone else in the cafe immediately went silent once he opened it and showed the bright diamond ring nestled inside it.

"Hikari-chan, you've helped me out so many times in the past few months. I've seen you laugh, smile, dance, play violin, all of those things." Mamoru made sure to speak honestly while making eye contact with those beautiful blue eyes. "And I can't get enough of it. All of it. All of _you_. Skip the dating, I…"

The cafe continued to be silent while he took a deep breath and said the words he had been holding back for all this time.

"I was hoping if you could do the honor of taking my hand and _marrying_ me, Hikari-chan. Be the mother to my children."

The woman inhaled sharply while her eyes widened a significant margin. Hikari hugged the roses a bit tighter to her chest as she glanced around for a second before looking back at him again. The pink dancing across her cheeks was just the icing on the cake. "H-Hitoshi-kun, I…"

"…Whoa," someone said in the background.

"Hikari-chan, _please_." Mamoru took one of her hands, her left hand that she used to hold her violin, in his to squeeze. "You're the only one for me."

_I want you. All of you. Not that banshee my family chose for me. You._

The woman flushed a darker shade of pink before closing her eyes. This was working out so far like his dreams said they would.

_Just say yes. Just say_ _**yes.** _

The last thing he was expecting was for Hikari-chan to bury her nose in the roses before shaking her head and softly wiggling her hand out of his grasp.

 _Huh?_ _Wha—_

"I-I'm honestly flattered, but… I'm sorry, Hitoshi-kun," Hikari said softly, placing the roses to the side before raising her right hand.

_No. Nononono,_ _**NO.** _ _It can't be..._

On her right ring finger was a small, simple silver band. It didn't even come close to the diamond ring still nestled in the box he was holding, but—

"I can't marry you. I'm already married and have a family."

His heart promptly _shattered._

* * *

Inuzuka Fuse tried not to wince from her seat near the piano at the sound of the man's heart breaking. Even if he was a strange… _suitor_ of Hoshino Hikari's for the past few months, that didn't mean his attempt at courting the lady wasn't _genuine._

Even if she and Teikō silently agreed he was a bit sleazy in how he skipped the dating phase entirely and just went for the ring. Not to mention how he somehow _never_ knew that Hoshino Hikari was already taken _and_ raising a real, living daughter.

Speaking of that daughter…

"I-I'm sorry, Fuse-san! I hope you didn't wait too long! I have your tea!"

Hoshino Tomoko herself ran out from the kitchen with the tea refill, surprisingly not falling at all despite the weight on her right hand. The Inuzuka hid a chuckle.

_What an oblivious girl. Not even realizing the tea was a distraction for you to not see what your mother had to go through._

"Don't worry, Tomoko-chan!" Fuse easily slid on a kind smile in the pianist's direction, and for once, it didn't feel as forced as it could've been because the civilian girl was that sweet.

How Hitoshi Mamoru missed _her_ and her energetic father, Fuse didn't know. Nonetheless, she gingerly took the cup off the girl's hands before adjusting herself in her seat, watching as Tomoko took her place back at the piano again. Even when doing so, her feet never touched a slumbering Teikō nearby, instead finding their place on the piano pedals.

Fuse smiled.

"So, something calm and poi…poignant, right?" Tomoko said, and Fuse hid another chuckle at the girl's stammer before nodding, taking a sip of the warm tea. Thank goodness Tomoko didn't see the whole proposal thing, because the tension needed to go. "O-Okay then! Music coming right up!"

Fuse honestly thought the cafe needed more music, since she could now pick up the scent of strong alcohol in the same vicinity as the suitor.

Uh oh.

Better to check out the threat before it became one.

While Tomoko focused on playing her song, Fuse opened one eye to glance in Hitoshi Mamoru's direction, only to double take.

The confident man from earlier was completely _gone_. Despite his well-paid-for suit, it was as if Mamoru had gone through a storm of his own, being attended to by a sheepish brunette to barely look like he was sitting in place. With his formerly groomed hair now in oily ruffles, his unfolded shirt cuffs, and hanging suit coat tails, he was almost a shadow of that bright suitor, instead nursing a glass of something murky akin to rice wine in his shaky hand, and Fuse tried not to gag at the smell.

No matter how you looked at it, he didn't make a good scene.

" _O-Oooooooone more_ —hic— _shot, pretty ladyyy_!" He proceeded to bellow loudly from the bar, with the brunette jumping before running past the counter to grab an already opened bottle. Fuse tried not to wince.

 _Great, he's a lightweight. And it's…_ Fuse gave the bar a quick glance-over. _Only been a few shots. Ow._

Other customers, ninja and civilian alike, gave the man dirty looks for his behavior. Surrounding staff members weren't any better, hiding their glares behind their work. From scent alone, the surrounding atmosphere was almost screaming, ' _Get out and do your sulking elsewhere!'_

Hikari was the only one who didn't even _look_ at the scene, instead focusing on her work serving others with a solemn yet sad expression on her face. Fuse didn't even need to be a sensor to know the older Hoshino was troubled about everything that had happened. At this point, Fuse was wondering where Judai was, considering how his wife was doing.

The piano music soon started getting a bit louder as Tomoko's hands flew across the keys almost obliviously, only focusing on the tune and the tune alone. Fuse allowed herself to relax for the sake of really taking in the music, because this was her day off. She _needed_ to relax. She _wanted_ to relax.

She _would've_ if not for her nose tingling again with the scent of alcohol, stronger this time. And… _coming this way?!_

Fuse opened both her eyes and sat straight up to glance over her shoulder only to nearly gasp.

Hitoshi Mamoru was flushed bright red, now holding an entire _bottle_ of alcohol in his left hand while stomping over to the stage with angry brown eyes. Even at the slow pace he was going, Fuse knew it would be a matter of time before things got ugly.

" _D-Damnyouuuuuu! Howdareyaruin_ —hic— _mychanceswith_ —" Mamoru growled lowly. " _With Hikari-chaaaaan!"_

Oh dear god, _NO._ Why was he aiming fo—!

Fuse made eye contact with the brunette attendant from earlier, only for the girl to shake her head and literally motion to Fuse's chair with her hands.

"Stop him!" she mouthed frantically. "Tomoko-chan's in trouble!"

The Inuzuka didn't even have time to consider the fact that this staff member was trying to _help._ All that was going through her mind was _Danger, Danger,_ _ **Danger**_ _._

Fuse glanced at the pianist behind her. She had yet to notice the impending situation, still playing the same tune, and Fuse didn't think. All she did was push away her own chair with a loud SCREECH so that it purposefully toppled in front of Mamoru's path.

_CRASH._

Tomoko jumped with a quiet squeak as soon as Mamoru fell to the floor, alcohol bottle crashing with him to splash against his suit while littering the floor of the cafe with glass shards. The music stopped abruptly along with it, allowing the full extent of the man's words to run free. "Y-Ya _bitch!_ " the man proceeded to curse, stumbling to get up from his place in-between the bar and the stage, glaring up at her with what could've been a death stare if not for the flushed face. " _Don't_ —hic— _getinmyway! I-I needa…"_ Mamoru hiccupped again. " _I-I needa kill thwat girl who took Hikari-chan's attension away from me! Before I_ —hic— _dismantle the ass that defiled thwose legs first!"_

Teikō, who was originally asleep at the foot of the grand piano, was now fully awake and on guard, growling angrily.

"Teikō," Fuse started dryly. The ninken raised one ear, barking once at the man while standing on all fours. Looks like he was just as angry too. "Bite him."

Immediately, the ninken jumped and proceeded to bite down _hard_ on Mamoru's right arm. The man proceeded to let out a dry bellow akin to a wounded _beast_ , fumbling with slurred curses while attempting to shake Teikō off. "Ow ow _OW_! Fwoolish mutt!" Blood was already showing through his upper arm as the black suit tore with each motion, making for quite a scene. If not for the situation at hand, Fuse would've had half the urge to laugh at the man's pain.

"E-Ehhh?" Tomoko squeaked again, horror filling her voice. "F-Fuse-san, what's going on? Who—"

"Tomoko-chan, I want you to run out of here as fast as you can," Fuse said quietly, reaching into her pack for some ninja wire. "Find Kakashi-kun and Minato-san, or Yatsu, or any of your friends and stay with them. It isn't safe here."

When glancing in Hikari's direction, the dawning look of dread and horror filling her face showed that this was the right decision.

"B-But—" Tomoko shook her head, fear filling her blue eyes. "F-Fuse-san, I—"

" _Ineedakillthatgirl!"_ Mamoru slurred again, sloppily stumbling to his feet and ignoring the glass and alcohol staining his clothes in exchange for running forward again, past the broken chair. "Lemme dish out justwice!" He wasn't even paying attention to _Teikō_ , who was still hanging onto his arm for all his stubbornness, growling and left hanging behind him.

Tomoko let out a soft gasp before Fuse pushed her towards the door, brandishing a kunai.

"Tomoko-chan, GO!"

That was all it took for the civilian to stumble to her feet and run past the stage and out the door.

" _Getbwackhere, bitch!_ " Mamoru bellowed angrily before stumbling after her, tripping over more chairs left by customers.

"OI!" Fuse yelled after him, caught between attacking or staying put. "Don't—"

Then Judai had just come out from the back door, only to step back. Amazing timing, apparently. "What the heck just happened— _Tomoko-chan?!"_ Once he saw his daughter leave with the drunk somehow in hot pursuit, he pulled out a tanto. "Tomoko-chan!"

The telltale sound of the Body Flicker Jutsu echoed afterwards.

Fuse sighed, then glanced at Hikari. Might as well help here, considering Judai had it handled. And Teikō. Knowing the ninken, he wouldn't let go unless some horrible smell came around. And that would take a while.

The civilian woman needed as much help as she could get from looking at the mess alone.

* * *

Around the same time, Kei was with Team Minato again after eating lunch. It wasn't anything too fancy, just getting Ichiraku Ramen at Minato's behest while avoiding anything related to shrimp. And considering they had recently finished another C-rank which, surprisingly, had nothing going to hell this time, it felt adequate to celebrate their successes.

If only things could go that way all the time.

For once, Kei didn't have the bad luck charm stuck to her. The first warning was Kakashi raising his head, eyes narrowed at the road in front of them. Then Minato-sensei took a step forward, blinking while his chakra tensed like an incoming storm cloud. Along with the burst of rainbow color in her chakra senses, Kei already had a bad feeling.

"Someone's coming," Kakashi said slowly, his nose twitching. "Running, really."

"Wait, what?" Obito added cluelessly, but Kei didn't miss how his shoulders tensed from being on guard.

_Tomoko?_

Kei focused on looking past the crowd, only to nearly double-take at the sight of the civilian herself _actually_ running towards them, sweat beading her panicked face.

All she could get out was a shocked, "Tomo-chan—" before the civilian proceeded to nearly careen into Kei's chest with a panicked screech.

"Waaaaah!"

" _Ooof_!" Kei said instinctively, arms already going around her friend's shoulders as Tomoko huffed to catch her breath. The pain running through her chest could be handled later. "Tomo-chan, what's going—"

"K-Kei-chan…!" Wetness was starting to dot her jacket shoulder, and Kei already knew that it wasn't sweat. "H…Help…!"

" _Wait wait waitttt!_ " screamed an unfamiliar voice. Kei looked up from her friend's hair only to double take again at the sight of a man probably in his late thirties or early forties running towards them, and if not for the angry red blotches on his face, the whole scene would've been almost comedic. With the dragging suit jacket, unfolded cuffs, and oily brown hair out in full sight, Kei almost had the urge to gag. Not to mention the large _ninken_ currently chomping down on his right arm to the point of tearing the suit jacket, teeth stained with blood. " _Gwet_ —hic— _back here!_ "

Tomoko proceeded to bury her face into Kei's shoulder.

"…Is that new friend of yours causing trouble, Tomo-chan?" Kei deadpanned.

Her response was a fierce nod.

 **I highly doubt he could reach the speed of any experienced ninja right now, us included,** the Dreamer muttered dryly. **Why is he causing so much—?**

"Sir, I believe you are drunk," Minato started in the same flat tone, taking a step forward so that he stood in front of the entire team while blocking the guy's view, frowning. "I believe it be best for you to quietly leave and rest at home."

"Shwut up!" The man slurred, pushing some people away to then stand across from the Jounin, pointing a shaky finger at them. The ninken on his other arm started to audibly growl around the bloody skin. "I'm ash sober ash I can gwet, and I know I—hic—nweed to kill thwat girl! _That_ —hic— _that wench who took Hikari-chwan away from me!_ "

Kei didn't miss how Tomoko flinched at the words.

 _Okay, I don't know what the_ _ **fuck**_ _you're thinking of, buddy, but like_ _ **hell**_ _you're gonna—_

And then Minato-sensei started laying down the killing intent. It wasn't enough so that there would be backwash, but Kei knew that the man across from the Jounin was doomed.

"Wait wait _waitttt_ ," the man hiccupped, all color draining from his face as he took a step back, already stumbling thanks to the alcohol and the ninken hanging off him. "Y-You're—"

"Namikaze Minato, it's very nice to make your acquaintance," Minato started pleasantly, and Kei could see him pull out a Thunder God Kunai to twirl on his finger almost absently. "Now, one more word about _killing_ a child out of you, and your fingers will fall first. Try to hurt my students and Tomoko-chan, then your legs will be next. Is that clear?"

Tomoko didn't move out of her position of clinging to Kei, but she still started shivering. "K-Kei-chan—"

"Don't look, Tomo-chan," Kei put a hand on the back of the civilian's head. "Don't look."

Tomoko nodded almost immediately, hands reaching up to clench Kei's jacket.

Minato-sensei's war persona was scary enough. Kei was used to it from all the missions, but that didn't make the situation any less _jarring._ It was almost ironic that _Minato_ was currently the scarier person in the vicinity, considering how the civilian originally ran out here trying to avoid a drunk man of all things.

Obito then took a step closer so that he would be in arm's length, already reaching over to lightly rub Tomoko's shoulder. Kakashi even seemed to have the same idea, moving his hand so that it would land on top of Tomoko's head, ruffling the civilian's hair before moving away to assess the situation.

The drunk guy in question nodded almost violently to the previous statement as Minato continued to twirl the kunai with a smile. "Now, you'll be coming with me to see the Uchiha Police Force," he said evenly, as if the guy wasn't shaking in his alcohol-stained dress shoes already. "And we're going to see if you need help, and you _will_ cooperate. If not, then…" Minato tossed the kunai in the air, and Kei found her eye following the spinning weapon for a moment before it landed cleanly in the Jounin's outstretched hand. "We'll see how much _killing_ you can do on my watch."

The perpetrator promptly peed himself in his pants while nodding again, leaving a sickly yellow puddle on the pavement. The ninken, on the other hand, let out a whine of protest and jumped off his bloody arm. The ninja dog went on to give the puddle a single _look_ before scurrying back to wherever it came from, spitting out the guy's blood in its wake.

 _Ugh, gross._ _ **This**_ _was the asswipe that scared Tomoko?_ Kei shook her head while keeping a hand on Tomoko's hair, only watching as Minato stepped forward with Kakashi to tie the man's arms behind his back, doing her best to ignore the drunken babbling.

"…Kei, that guy was really _drunk_ ," Obito added quietly, glancing between the scene and her with wide eyes. "He was swaying and tipping over like some of the older Uchiha on their bad days."

"Obito," Kei started, already feeling Tomoko shift underneath her hand.

"K-Kei-chan…Obito-kun…c-could I look now?" The civilian mumbled.

"Not yet, Tomo-chan," Kei shook her head while running her fingers through the girl's hair. "Not yet."

The killing intent wasn't fully gone, and Kei wanted to see this mess of a perpetrator _out_ of her sight before she would ever let Tomoko see the whole thing.

"Is he disarmed?" Minato continued in the same even tone.

"No weapons on him at all actually, Sensei," Kakashi answered, pulling the man to a full stand. "You can take him."

Minato then nodded, and with the gesture, his expression evened out along with the killing intent, the air returning to the former warm spring atmosphere. The Jounin then stepped forward to take a hold of the man's shoulder and with a soft _pop_ of the Thunder God Jutsu, they were gone. Minato-sensei and the drunk guy both.

The crowd that had gathered around the area blinked before slowly going back to their original routines with various mutterings, pointedly ignoring the yellow puddle in the middle of the road.

Tomoko breathed shakily.

"…Tomoko, it's okay. That guy's gone now," Kakashi said, uncharacteristically quiet while walking back over to the rest of the team. "You can look."

The civilian clutched a bit more of Kei's jacket. Then, there was a soft and mumbled, "Really?"

Kakashi sighed, but made himself in arm's length again so that he could place a hand on Tomoko's head. "Really."

A shaky huff, and then Tomoko hesitantly let go. Teary blue eyes looked between each member of Team Minato and the surrounding area for a moment before she let out a shaky sigh. "O-Ohhhh…thank god…"

And then Tomoko fell to her knees.

"T-Tomo-chan?!" Kei immediately caught the girl before she could hit the ground, worry already running through her system. "You okay?!"

"A-Ah…I'm sorry…" Tomoko giggled hoarsely while holding onto the ninja's arms, and Kei froze with how thick tears were streaming down her friend's cheeks. "My legs kinda gave out and…and…" The civilian started to sniffle.

Kei was already pulling the girl into a hug before she could say anymore. "It's okay, Tomo-chan, I'm here. We're all here. You're okay now."

"K-Kei-channnn…" A soft sob sounded as Tomoko clenched more of Kei's jacket again. "I-I was _scared_...!"

" _Shhh, shhh_ , Tomo-chan," Kei ran her fingers through the girl's hair, tightening the hug. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

_What would've happened if she didn't find us…?_

The Dreamer immediately pushed the idea out with a face. **Quit worrying about that right now.**

"Uwaaaaah…"

And then a familiar voice broke through the silence. " _Tomoko-chaaaaan!_ "

In the middle of a sob, Tomoko stilled with a hoarse, "Papa?"

Kei looked up from the hug only to blink as Judai-jichan, green work kimono and all, ran over to all of them, immediately getting to his knees so that he would be at Tomoko's height. Apparently during his haste, he even noticed the yellow puddle, jumping over it nimbly before reaching them. It was hard to miss the _tanto_ blade in his right hand before Judai proceeded to sheath it in a small scabbard on his back. "Hi, Kei-kun, Kakashi, Obito," he said quickly before putting his free hand on Tomoko's shoulder, speaking softly. "Tomoko-chan, it's me. Papa."

"P-Papa…." Tomoko let go of Kei's sweater for the second time that day to look up at Judai, and more tears bubbled in her eyes. "Papaaaaa…"

"Oh, _sweetie_ …" It was now Judai's turn to hug the girl as he shook his head. "I'm sorry for being late. You ran out here all by yourself, huh?"

"Mm…mm…" Tomoko sobbed again, louder this time. "F-Fuse-san told me to run…to find Kakashi, Minato-san, everybody…b-but it was still _scary…_ "

Kakashi stilled in surprise as Kei blinked.

_Fuse-san?_

**That probably explains the ninken that left earlier. Fuse-san must be an Inuzuka.**

"I know, sweetie, I know." Judai ran his hand through the girl's hair before glancing up at Team Minato with a shaky smile. "Thank you all for helping out."

"N-No problem, Judai-san," Obito answered for them, clearly caught between wanting to join the hug or stand around and watch.

Tomoko sniffled one more time before slowly pulling out of the hug, and Judai immediately had a tissue in hand to wipe at the girl's face. For Kei, seeing tears mixed with Tomoko's spring work uniform that was the Leafeon kimono dress and green hair ribbon was both jarring and heart wrenching. "Tomoko-chan, you probably don't want to head back right now, huh?"

The civilian shook her head vigorously.

**Understandable considering what happened.**

Judai sighed fondly while continuing to wipe at the ongoing tears. Then he looked up at Kei with a questioning eyebrow. "Kei-kun, I'm sorry to ask you to help again, but is it alright if Tomoko-chan could stay with you and your family tonight? Even if I wanted to, the cafe needs to be cleaned up and there's still the report I might have to give on the whole thing later."

"Of course," Kei answered seriously, nodding. "Tomo-chan can stay with Haa-chan and I for as long as she wants."

Tomoko stilled again to look up at Kei with wide blue eyes. "K-Kei-chan, are you sure?"

"Of course I am," Kei reached over to softly poke the girl's cheek while wearing her best smile. "You're my friend, Tomo-chan, so of course I'll help you."

Tomoko whimpered before jumping on Kei in another hug. This time, Obito didn't even hesitate in joining in, making it a small group huddle as he started muttering reassurances of his own. Kakashi, on the other hand, didn't make a full attempt at doing the same, instead reaching over to ruffle Tomoko's hair again before standing awkwardly at Judai's side.

"…That settles it, I guess," Judai sighed dryly, clearly grumbling under his breath about something. "I'll have to head back and help clean up the mess. Kakashi, help me out a bit, will you?"

"Understood, Judai-jichan," the Chunin answered immediately.

* * *

Getting Tomoko to the Gekkō household wasn't too much trouble. Obito took it upon himself to help her get a change of clothes and any necessities after a quick detour to Nagareboshi Cafe with Judai-jichan before heading home, but there was still the issue of cleaning up the cafe.

Not to mention the immediate situation on everyone's minds being how to really calm the girl down. Hell, she was still sniffling by the time Kei was opening the front door and ushering her in.

"Hi, sis!" Hayate was the first person to show up, and had every sign of wanting to tackle hug Kei if not for the other person in the room. "And—oh man, _Tomoko-nee_?" The boy immediately ran over to the pianist, tugging on her hand so that she would look at him. "What happened? Why are your eyes so red?"

"H-Hayate-chan…" Tomoko stammered before hesitantly taking off her sandals and wrapping the boy into a hug. "I-I'm sorry, it's…it's a long story…"

The sniffles escaping her were quick in alerting Miyako and Wataru as well, as they quickly ran out to the front door. "Tomoko-chan?" Wataru was, easily enough, the next person to get into the fray, pulling both the girl and Hayate into a group hug so that he could heft them into the house. "What happened? Who made you cry?"

Miyako gave Kei a look. Kei shrugged helplessly as a response.

_It's hard to explain when, for once, I don't have the full story._

* * *

By the time evening had rolled around, the red on Tomoko's face had receded significantly. On the other hand, the uncharacteristic silence just wasn't doing much, so Miyako made the right call in sending her to take a bath first before bed. In the meantime, Kei tried to busy herself with seal work with Wataru for the sake of doing work and having a proper distraction.

Probably why it surprised her when Wataru asked the question.

"Kei-chan, do you know why Tomoko-chan was so upset like that?"

Again, Kei shrugged. "I'm actually not sure of the full details, Dad. But from the looks of it, there was a drunk customer or something who obsessed over Hikari-bachan, and I think Hikari-bachan rejected him…?" Kei shook her head. Love could be so fickle like that. "And then in his small brain, he went after Tomo-chan in his grief and she ran out to find us. Minato-sensei was the one who took him down in the end."

Wataru visibly winced before putting down his calligraphy brush. "That's…that's a lot to take in." Kei glanced up at him, only to blink as he accidentally smeared ink across his stubble with his hand while thinking. "But Tomoko-chan wasn't hurt, right?"

"Scared and crying, Dad, but she was okay." Kei offered him a napkin for the ink while shrugging again. "Judai-jichan was the one who recommended she stay with us for the night."

"Good call," Wataru answered immediately, taking the napkin to wipe at his chin with an upward turn of his lip. Then, the last thing Kei was expecting was for Wataru's other hand to land on her head. "You did a great job, Kei-chan."

Kei tried not to flush red, but still found herself grinning anyways. "Thanks, Dad."

_Hearing that just feels awesome._

The duo proceeded to smile at one another.

* * *

An hour later, Tomoko glanced around, hugging a pillow to herself. "A-Are you sure about me sleeping here, Kei-chan? It's yours and _Hayate_ 's room…"

"We have the space, Tomo-chan," Kei answered coolly, spreading out the futon on the floor between the two beds in the area before the civilian could say anymore. "And you're part of the family too. So, there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about!" Hayate echoed happily while bouncing on his bed.

Even in a nightgown, it was easy to see Tomoko fidget. "…Really?"

Kei snorted before standing up to full height and poking the girl's head. "Really. Now get some sleep. It's been a long day."

The civilian blinked before giggling around her pillow. "Alright, I got it."

It would've been nice if things ended like that considering the chaos.

But apparently, even at night when sleep was an all-time must, terror would still lurk in the depths of what should've been comforting darkness.

* * *

" _Vy! Hey, Vy!"_

**Huh…? Who…who is calling me?**

" _ **Vy**_ _! Are you even listening?!"_

" _I'm sorry, bro! I was out of it! What do you need?_ "

 **No** _ **.**_ **No…it can't be.**

" _I was hoping you could help me with something!"_

" _What did you need help with when Daddy's asleep? He could've helped you better than me!"_

**Vy is supposed to be dead. This…this shouldn't be showing up.**

" _It's because Dad's asleep that I needed to ask you! You're the only one I can ask!"_

_A squeaky sigh. "Okay, okay, what is it? What did you get yourself into this time?"_

**No…no, no, nonono,** _**no.** _ **Don't say it…**

" _Just a class that started in school today! And there were some things I wasn't all that sure about, so could you help me?"_

" _Um, like what? In what?"_

**Don't say yes…don't make me see this again…**

" _Well first…" The chubby boy twirled a dull pencil. "I'll need you to take—"_

_**Nonononono, no…! Stop…please…!** _

" _...okay then!"_

_**NO!** _

* * *

When a flare of chakra flowed in the air, Kei found herself roused from yet another nightmare, groaning aloud. From a glance around the area, it was still nighttime and _way too early_ to get up. Hell, a glance outside the window showed that it was fricking _midnight._ Nonetheless, Kei tried not to sound irritated, instead muttering "...'moko? Izzat you?"

A loud squeak was her response, and Kei attempted to blink the crust out of her eyes as silence followed. "U-Um," someone said in the darkness. Then, the sound of a blanket shifting mixed with what sounded like _far_ too deep of breathing for comfort followed. "Yeah…yeah…s-sorry."

Kei blinked again before reorienting her brain and dragging a hand across her face. _Ah hell. I just made it worse._ "Tomoko? Are you crying?"

Apparently without even looking up, Kei knew she had caught her friend off guard because the door had creaked open an inch before another squeak of surprise sounded. "…yeah…yeah…" A telling sniffle followed before Tomoko inhaled shakily. "I-I don't know _when_ I did, but…" Another sniffle as the door creaked open again, a bit wider this time so that the moonlight would shine through. "I'm sorry, kinda—" The first whimper sounded as the light illuminated the civilian's figure, making the thick tears stand out that much more. "Need some water," Tomoko's lip quivered while attempting to look away. "J-Just go back to sleep."

… _Yeah, no._

Kei immediately rolled out of bed to unceremoniously land on her toes, wincing. "Ow," she said vaguely, shaking her head to get out as much of her bed head before glancing at the other side of the room. Hayate was, as expected, still snoozing away like nothing even happened, almost dead to the— _Okay, bad word choice._

 **You think?** the Dreamer said dryly.

"Comin' with." Kei said, shaking her head. "If you're feeling that messed up, I'm not letting you wander by yourself."

_Especially with you so unsteady like that._

Tomoko finally whipped her head in Kei's direction before her eyes watered again. "K-Keiiiiiiii…!" was the soft protest. The civilian then went on to try wiping at her eyes with her hands, nodding. "O-okay…okay…" she sniffled.

Kei strode over to wrap an arm around Tomoko's shoulders before gently ushering her to the kitchen, rubbing her hand over the girl's upper arm. "Lemme get you a glass."

"Th-thank you…" Tomoko sniffled again while shakily finding a seat at the dinner table nearby. "'M sorry about waking you up."

Kei shrugged while walking over to the sink, filling up a glass with as much water as it could hold. "It's fine. After yesterday, I was expecting nightmares." She pointedly left out any mention of her own, considering the dead face of the teen she first killed was still lingering in her head. Instead, she walked over to Tomoko's side to offer the glass. "Here. Hope you don't mind it's not tea."

"I-It's okay…" Tomoko tried to smile only for more tears to flow down her face, resulting in her taking the cup almost gingerly to sip. "Water is just fine." Kei took a seat next to her as soon as Tomoko started chugging, waiting patiently. Then with a breath, Tomoko put the now half-full cup down onto the table. "It's just…It was just my first nightmare as…" The civilian choked on another sob as tears flowed down her face.

"As Tomoko?" Kei said softly.

"Yeah… Yeah." Tomoko proceeded to grab the glass and chug once more, and Kei watched as the rest of the water went down the 'drain,' so to speak. What Kei wasn't expecting was for Tomoko to shake her head once the glass was finished, gripping it tightly while curling in on herself. "Th-the thing is, I-I didn't see the… that guy from the other day. Instead… Instead…" Another sniffle as one of Tomoko's hands went up to cover her mouth, sobs more apparent now despite the subsequent muffling. "I-I saw the old me's _worst_ memory. Th-the thing I was sure I had gotten over by now…"

_Oh shit._

Kei paused before reaching over and pulling the girl into a side-hug, resting her cheek on Tomoko's head. "…Flashbacks. You had a flashback, right?" _The old me's worst enemy…? Or memory?_ "No wonder you're so rattled…"

"Y-yeah… yeah…" Tomoko's voice cracked while nodding. "T-Turns out old memories _can_ affect you… I-I just wasn't expecting it…" The sniffles had now turned into wet snorts as Tomoko shook her head again. "It was… It was…"

Kei immediately reached over to pat the girl's hair before offering a napkin in lieu of the usual handkerchief. "I get it, Tomo-chan," she said quietly. "I get it."

Tomoko immediately looked up at her with wide eyes before more thick tears spilled over. "K-Keiiii…." She went on to take the napkin with her free hand, blowing her nose hard enough to where Kei could liken it to a baby elephant. This process of nose-blowing went on for a few more seconds before the napkin was balled up in a little wet blob for Tomoko to leave for the trash. "Th-thank you…Kei-chan…" Finally, Kei could hear a small smile in the squeaky voice as Tomoko turned back to look at her lap. "I-I don't think that I…I can say everything now, but…" The civilian looked up at her again with watery blue eyes, lip caught between a quiver and a smile. "When I do, will you be okay with hearing me out?"

Kei was already nodding seriously before anything else was said. "Of course I can. Whatever you have to say, I'll listen."

_And that's the truth._

Tomoko's eyes widened one more time before more tears started showing up and the civilian went on to grab another napkin to wipe at them. "K-Kei…Thank you…Thank you…" She sniffled again. "C-Could I hug you?"

Kei was already hugging the girl before she could finish her sentence. Tomoko froze for only a moment before hugging back, tears beginning to soak the shoulder of Kei's T-shirt.

In the end, no one was really sure how long the two sat there. But by the time all the tears had dried, the moon had moved towards the right side of the sky, still glowing a soft yellow as Tomoko let go with one last sniffle.

Kei offered another napkin before smiling. "Want to head back?"

"J-Just a minute," the civilian said, taking the napkin to blow her nose again. Then, she breathed a soft, "Kei-chan?"

"Yeah, Tomo-chan?"

Tomoko looked up at the ninja again, only this time with a steadier smile. "You called me ' _Tomo-chan_ …'"

Kei blinked. "Was that wrong? Sorry if I wasn't allowed to shorten your name, but... I wasn't sure what would get through to you. And it's been a long few weeks. Sorry." She ducked her head while rubbing the back of her neck. "I didn't mean to be rude."

To Kei's surprise, Tomoko shook her head with a warm giggle. "N-no…no…" A few more tears were squeezed out of her red-rimmed eyes, but Kei could tell that these weren't the sad ones. "You're fine, Kei," Tomoko giggled again. "It's just…I was _really_ happy when you started calling me that." The civilian went on to lean against Kei's (wet) shoulder, smiling all the same. "Thank you…"

Kei brought an arm around Tomoko's shoulders again to squeeze in a side-hug. "No problem, Tomo-chan. Least I could do."

Peaceful silence followed before—

" _Daisuki da yo, Kei-chan."_

Kei stiffened while unintentionally squishing Tomoko to her chest. The civilian blinked blearily, confused. "…Kei-chan?"

"Tomo-chan…" Kei exhaled softly while loosening her grip to hug the civilian properly. "Did you just—" She attempted to breathe deeply. "Did you just say—"

Apparently, the confusion wasn't lost on the girl as Tomoko blinked again. "I was being honest…I love you, Kei-chan."

_Oh my—_

Tomoko didn't even have time to repeat Kei's name before the ninja proceeded to pull the girl into a full hug, squeezing her tightly.

A pause followed before Tomoko raised her hands up to Kei's back, patting it slowly. "…Kei-chan?"

Kei squeezed the girl a bit tighter while burying her face into Tomoko's hair. "I'm just—I'm really happy."

"…?" Tomoko returned the hug a bit tighter while inclining her head in clear befuddlement. "I was just saying the truth though…I really love you, Kei-chan."

Kei tightened the hug yet again, already finding a lump in her throat from the lack of words.

_You can't be serious..._

"Kei-chan?" Tomoko continued in that same innocent, oblivious tone.

"Th-thank you," Kei hiccupped finally, pressing her nose into the crown of Tomoko's black hair. "F-For being here, and for being okay, and f-f-for saying that."

_I'm such a wreck…_

And even then, Tomoko let out a shaky hum of understanding before snuggling the ninja a bit more. "Mm. _Daisuki da yo_ , Kei-chan."

Kei allowed herself a few tears before squeezing her friend for dear life.

_Thank you for accepting me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Not much to say here. Only that our main protagonists have Issues and Tomoko's saying of "I love you" is in the platonic, family way. Nothing more. That's why she uses the Japanese phrase of "Daisuki" instead of the other methods (e.g. "Aishiteru" or "Koishiteru") because it's love that's not in the 'significant-other' kind of way.
> 
> Being Tomoko means being more emotionally open to saying things like that despite society staring at you otherwise. And Kei is her reincarnation buddy, so...
> 
> Lang has already sunk the ship on the CYB Sideblog, I'm just reaffirming it for those who follow this story.
> 
> On the other hand, for fans of both CP and CYB, this chapter basically combines Kei's first C-rank along with the infamous 'Drunk Guy incident' from CP, just retooled. When looking back at the original 'Drunk Guy' thing in CP, I really didn't like how it seemed so petty and remade it so that the guy had actual motivations. Something like that. Woo for writing progress!
> 
> As a last note, and I know I may be repeating this a lot, but I couldn't have done this without Lang's help and support. So Lang, I know you're reading this, but I want to say it. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to plan the next chapter!


	14. Not Staying Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is actually a very precious one to me: One Summer's Day by Joe Hisaishi. Since Spirited Away was my first Japanese animated film that I watched with my mom and dad, I wanted to honor that with this theme. The beautiful music that does a great job in conveying the current uncertainty about the unknown future that our protagonists are going through.
> 
> On the other hand, an alternative theme for this chapter is Kyle Landry and GBritaney's piano and violin duet of Sadness and Sorrow from the original Naruto OST. It's not really for Kei or Tomoko's case, this song, but for a certain mother who went through the wringer here more so than our protagonists for once.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Chapter 14: Not Staying Down_

Sometimes, you have days where you wake up, and you know you're alive, but it doesn't _feel_ like it. Physically, you're moving around, doing the same functions as everyone else, but emotionally, everything's numb. Like a rock replaced the beating heart in your chest.

Sound familiar?

That was how I could describe myself the morning after everything. Just…everything.

Where could I start? There were so many bad 'firsts' to where it felt like a huge blur.

Yesterday, I met my first ever drunk customer, wanting to kill me over Mama caring about me too much…or something, I'm not sure. Then it was my first time actively running out of Nagareboshi Cafe out of fear for my own life, only to encounter Team Minato and hide away in the shoulder of my friend. After that, it was another first in hearing Minato-san say some of the most threatening things _ever_ in my entire life thus far, only to poof away somewhere with the perpetrator. And to top it all off, sleeping over at Kei's house only to get my first _nightmare_ …

I just didn't know what to make of it when I woke up the second time, with sunlight filtering through the window. When glancing over to my left, Hayate was still snoring away in his bed, innocent as ever while turning over so that he was wrapped up in his baby blue blanket like a small blue burrito.

So…what about the right?

I turned over and, sure enough, Kei was sitting up in her bed yawning loudly. Maybe it was her being a sensor that added to the light-sleeper aspect. Heck, now that I think about it, I could never get up without her either already being awake or waking up at the same time. Today, it was the latter, I guess.

Strangely, Kei's yawn made the chest-rock beat a little bit. As if things were getting back to normal. Slowly and surely.

At least, I hoped they were.

I made sure to wait a few moments for Kei to reorient herself with the usual eye-wiping and shaking of her head before saying anything. And, sure enough, Kei glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before inclining her head. "Morning, Tomo-chan," she said.

"Good morning to you too, Kei-chan," I replied, the pleasant tone coming out of my mouth surprising me. I would've thought that after all the crying yesterday, I would've sounded hoarse and depressing like all heck, but apparently, my voice still had some energy in it. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Aaaand Kei wasn't suspecting it, judging by her light grin in my direction. At least, I was hoping she wasn't.

Being in a depressive mood overall _sucks_ for a reason.

Kei ended up shaking her head with a wry chuckle. "Not really, but it was better than some of my bad days."

I tried not to wince. "It's…it's not because of my little babble thing last night, was it?"

Even if the wet splotch on her T-shirt had already disappeared overnight, that didn't mean that it didn't _happen._ And since lots of tears happened over the course of yesterday, well—

"Huh?" Kei blinked at me before immediately shaking her head. "No, Tomo-chan, it's not you." From the gesture alone, it was as if Kei was offended at the mere _notion_ of the idea. "Call it "ninja bullshit" and leave it at that."

Oooookay. About time to back off and give her some space.

I shrugged before sitting up from my futon and crawling out of it to get ready for the day.

Staying depressed was not in my book.

* * *

Once everyone was seated at the table for breakfast, that's when the first cracks started showing up. Or, to be more specific, it was around this time that the Gekkō family started to notice I wasn't really myself. I wanted to at least give myself a chance to pass off as "normal", but then again, considering how my extended "family" in this case were all _ninja_ , I couldn't even get that.

Miyako-bachan was the one who, unintentionally or not, hit the first nail in my coffin. "Tomoko-chan, are you alright?"

I looked up from my rice bowl only to squeak at the sight of the _entire_ Gekkō household staring in my direction, mixed expressions on their faces. Miyako-bachan brought vocal worry, Wataru-jichan visible worry, and Kei and Hayate? I didn't even need to _describe_ their faces to know that they were already suspecting something was wrong with me.

… _I really am an open book, aren't I?_

I put down my chopsticks with a soft sigh. "Should I be honest or should I sugar-coat it?"

A tentative second of silence passed before Wataru-jichan answered with a dry and almost hammy, "Honest, please."

Woo boy. I tried to smile at everyone, only to for the gesture to _physically_ hurt the rock that replaced my heart. As expected, the smile dropped as I found myself ducking my head to stare at the tablecloth in the hopes of finding something to say. But, once again, my honesty won out. "…I would be lying if I said I _was_ okay, Miyako-bachan," I said finally, the resignation already seeping into my voice. "But I'm going to try to be. I-I don't want to make things worse."

"Tomoko-nee, you shouldn't force yourself," Hayate interjected, already reaching over to touch my right hand. "I like you when you're _really_ happy, not when you're faking it."

"Second that," Kei said immediately.

Tears were already starting to bubble in my eyes again from the sheer _sincerity_ of the gestures alone. "But…" I fumbled with holding back the next waterfall. "But I…"

 _I can't just stay like this. I can't just burden you like_ —

" _Tomoko-chan_ ," I found my thoughts and words failing me as soon as a large hand landed on the top of my head. When looking up, Wataru-jichan was staring at me with one of the kindest expressions I had ever seen, some emotion of his own shining in his eyes. "Tomoko-chan, you've been _hurt._ Not, well, physically," — he went on to gesture wildly with his other hand, almost fumbling in a way only he could do — "But you still went through _a lot_. It's okay to grieve when you can."

"W-Wataru-jichan…"

The rock in my chest was moving again, just when my vision was starting to blur.

_Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Don't cry now, don't cry now…!_

Hayate was already squeezing my hand tightly, and the tears were spilling over for what could've been the umpteenth time. Goddammit, me. "W-Waaah…oh dear…" I laughed shakily while using my other hand to wipe at the waterfall that was already flowing. "Th-thank you…" Another laugh left me as I tried to smile again. "I-I'm sorry for crying again. Just…I'm sorry about this. I'm sorry."

Kei and Hayate were already dogpiling me in a group hug before I could say anymore. Aaah. _Weight._ "Don't apologize, Tomo-chan," was the vehement reply in my ear, and the nickname alone alerted me to Kei's presence as a hand brushed through my hair. "Don't apologize."

I held back the latest urge to bawl to instead continue trying to dry all the water, hugging the siblings back to hide more tears.

A part of me wished I could say something more, but for once, all I could do was hold on.

Hold on and try to make things better.

* * *

Hoshino Hikari was, for once, shell-shocked. Who could blame her?

A long-time regular had went up and attempted _proposing_ to her yesterday, only to apparently take rejection so badly to where…to where—

"Hikari, Hikari."

Judai's voice. She found herself jumping in place before a warm hand covered her right, and she turned to see his brown eyes staring at her in worry. "Hikari," he repeated, squeezing her hand almost immediately. "You're with me, y'know. There's no need to feel so tense."

"But…but Judai—"

"What happened yesterday _wasn't_ your fault, Hikari," and the words proceeded to stab her right in the heart. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"B-But…" The tears that Hikari had tried so hard to hold back were now already starting to show up as she shook her head. "Judai, I…I nearly _killed_ our daughter. And all because I didn't know Hitoshi-k — Hitoshi- _san_ felt that strongly about me." _Fuck_ , just saying the guy's name alone made her heart ache because of how things went down. She had only saw him as a friend, and yet—! "I-If I had said something sooner…" she covered her mouth in an attempt to hide the cracking of her voice. "If I had _done_ something sooner…Tomoko-chan wouldn't have —" Hikari shuddered. "Tomoko-chan wouldn't have —"

"No, Hikari." The firm tone of her husband's voice made Hikari freeze. How Judai could stay so calm was beyond Hikari's current reasoning as his hand continued to hold onto hers tightly. "You can't take responsibility for someone else's actions _or_ their feelings for you. What matters is that you let that guy down as respectfully as you could, and he overreacted. What happened yesterday was all _his_ fault, not yours. Tomoko-chan's okay. Tomoko-chan's with Miyako and Wataru right now. She's _alive_."

Hikari shuddered again, tears close to flowing once more. "J-Judai…"

Judai only smiled before lightly pushing Hikari's hands away to kiss her. The touch was soft, almost too gentle to be from a former ninja, and yet it was easy to get lost in the feeling. The moment was only for a few seconds, but by the time he pulled away, Hikari opened her eyes to find her vision blurry.

Her husband smiled once again with warmth and love in his brown eyes before a hand reached over to wipe at Hikari's face and the oncoming tears. "C'mon. Let's clean you up, help Sakumo with his stuff, and then go see our little girl."

* * *

Cleaning up tears was simple enough. Tissues, clothes, anything worked as long as my eyes didn't start aching from the dryness.

Making a rock heart move was a little harder. I would like to say that there was an easy way out by pouring metaphorical "water" on it, but with how life was in general, there never was an easy way.

Hell, I don't know if I even have that "water" to jumpstart everything that's me.

I would have to suck it up and start trying a bit harder to be a little happier.

Slowly, but surely. I think that's how the saying went.

Which is how I ended up in my current situation. Following Kei-chan out to Training Ground Three to supervise Team Minato's most recent endeavors at teamwork.

Now, I'm sure a lot of you are scratching your heads right about now. Especially at the "supervise" part. And I wouldn't blame you, since canon never did show a lot of the civilian side of things, especially in interacting with their ninja neighbors. I had a feeling that I was a rare exception to many of my civilian counterparts just by being who I was, memories and past life notwithstanding. And somehow it equaled my watching a ninja cell's training without any outside protest. Emphasis on "somehow".

Even if my gut couldn't drop the idea of Kei inviting me to this specific session so she could keep an eye on me.

Sure, I came out to previous sessions before the team's first C-rank, usually on Minato-san's request because my having a portable keyboard (courtesy of Papa from my previous birthday) equaled a good way to calm team tension. But this was the first time Kei outright _asked_ if I wanted to come along, and I ended up saying yes before thinking it over.

Still, not having anything on me to keep myself occupied just led to me standing in the shade of a tree with Minato-san as soon as my friends started a three-way spar of some sorts. A part of me wished I had my piano _or_ my keyboard to play something, but considering what was going on in front of me, it didn't feel right to distract them.

…Not to mention everything yesterday.

It was only when Minato-san tucked a hand into his flak jacket and pulled out a metronome that I found myself looking away from the spar and in his direction.

"Um, Minato-san?" I didn't even have time to cover my mouth before the words came out, and once the Jounin looked at me, I tried not to fumble. "What is that for?"

The Yellow Flash blinked at me before proceeding to set the metronome on a nearby rock, turning on a switch so that the cursor started flicking back and forth with audible ticking noises. "Training, Tomoko-chan. After the first C-rank mission, it looked like Obito and Kei-kun could fight better in sync with outside stimulus after our clients started playing a song, so the metronome came in handy." Minato-san proceeded to poke the small box with a finger as he grinned sheepishly. "I can't always ask your father to borrow you for our team practices, anyways."

I winced. He had a point. And the lack of any keyboard right now basically made me a _standing_ duck. "I-I'm sorry," I said reflexively.

Minato-san blinked at me before inclining his head. "Why are you apologizing, Tomoko-chan? It's not your fault."

"Um, that one was more out of sympathy and understanding, Minato-san," I replied, already glancing away and fiddling with the sleeves of my blouse. "So, um."

Words were not my strong point today. Then again, I'm not sure if they ever were, considering how straightforward and _weird_ I could be.

That customer's choice of words yesterday didn't help the thoughts going through my mind.

Then, a hand landed on my head, softly threading through my hair. "…I'm the one who should be sorry, Tomoko-chan."

_What?_

" _Wh-Why?"_ was caught in my throat as soon as I whipped my head in his direction and saw Minato-san give me a soft, almost sad expression.

That same hand continued to ruffle my hair, the touch soft despite the calluses on his skin. "For scaring you yesterday. I'm sorry you had to see my mission persona like that, especially while in the village."

The metronome had ticked only once in a new cycle before something in me snapped.

"M-Minato-san, it's not your fault at all!" I didn't even realize my voice rose about _two full levels_ in pitch until the words were already coming out. "You _helped_ me! You _saved_ me! So, there's nothing to be sorry about!"

The Jounin lurched back, blinking.

Without even thinking, I was already jumping over to wrap my arms around Minato-san's middle, burying my face into his flak jacket. Despite the tough feeling of the fabric, an arm immediately wrapped around my shoulders as the words continued to spill out of me for all their worth. "You shouldn't apologize, Minato-san. You _kept_ me safe. You _saved_ me. You —" I tried not to choke on the words. "You helped keep _that man_ away from me. And that's what matters the most to me in the end." I took a breath. "You're an _amazing_ person, so don't let anyone else say otherwise. Okay?"

I didn't even know where the last part came from. All that went through my head at that moment was not letting a ninja I knew potentially beat himself up, especially when said ninja went through enough in canon as is.

Low self-esteem be damned!

"…Pfft." A warm chuckle rumbled in Minato-san's chest as the same hand from before landed on my hair to ruffle it again. Then, a soft breath of relief followed. "Thank you, Tomoko-chan. That means a lot to me, too."

I pulled away from the hug with a huff before smiling, and for once, the rock in my chest finally cracked to show the heart underneath. For once, smiling felt _real_ , and relief was already running through me like water. "Still, you got it?"

The Jounin playfully rolled his eyes before poking my forehead. _Wah_. "Got it."

I let out another huff, turned back to the direction of the spar, only to blink as Kakashi proceeded to shrug and dodge another attack on Obito's part via jump before reaching the both of us under the tree shade with the velocity. "Hey," he said as soon as the leaves settled.

"Hello?" I said back, unintentionally making it sound like a question. "Kakashi, shouldn't you be —"

"Needed a break," he replied dryly, already putting a hand on his hip with a roll of his eyes. From the looks of things, Kei and Obito were already pushing his envelope, and it was only…noon… _Darn it_. "And needed to ask you something."

"To me or to Tomoko-chan?" Minato-san interrupted.

"Tomoko," Kakashi said flatly.

_Oh no._

I tried not to tense as soon as he looked in my direction, but the next question wasn't one I was expecting from _him_ of all people. "Tomoko, are you okay?"

"Eh?" escaped me almost reflexively, and with that left in the air, I didn't miss how the sound of moving feet in the background stopped too.

Was…was all the spotlight on me again?

"I…" I fumbled with my hands in an attempt to find an answer, because sure enough, I was faced with that question again. A question I wasn't sure about answering. But no matter where I looked, what I thought, my mind kept going back to a single word.

The rock covering my heart came back as soon as the first cracks showed up again.

Kakashi stared at me with unreadable silver eyes.

"…No," I said finally, my throat dry as the air turned cold. "No, I…I'm not." I shook my head while attempting to smile again. Kakashi's continuous stare into my head was both encouraging and painful. "I-I'm trying to be, but it's a little difficult."

_At least, "a little" is as much as I can say considering all the messed-up shit that makes up reincarnation, anyways._

Kakashi stared at me for a few more moments before sighing and opening his arms.

_Huh?_

I blinked, raising my head. "Kakashi, what are you doing?"

Beside me, Minato-san hid a snicker.

Kakashi turned his head away almost defiantly, but his arms still remained outspread in my direction. "…You need one, don't you? A hug," he said tersely. "It's okay to not feel okay. You were the one who told me that."

The rock in my chest proceeded to break apart like butter to fully show the heart underneath as a volcano burst in my ribs.

"O-Oh…" was my intelligent answer.

My vision was already getting blurry again before I wiped at my eyes and proceeded to jump.

Kakashi didn't even flinch, catching me with ease while taking a step back. Sure, he was tense to the point where it was _obvious_ he didn't like the position all too much, but it was still a hug _he_ initiated _._ He didn't twirl me mid-hug like Kei, but the grip was almost the same.

Tight, warm, and most importantly, _safe._

"Th-thank you, Kakashi," I whispered, already feeling the cracks in my voice as I tightened the hug. " _Thank you_."

A soft scoff near my ear sounded before a hand landed on the back of my shoulders. "No problem," he said, the same hand patting my back now. "Just…" he paused, pushing at one of my arms. "Could you —"

I was already pulling out of the hug to wipe at my eyes again as a watery smile came over my face. "I-I know, I know. You're not a huggy person. But still, thanks."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head before glancing off in another direction.

Unintentionally, I found myself giggling.

Kakashi sighed.

With my heart now fully out in the open and on my sleeve again, the smile on my face started to wobble again. "A-Anyways, you should go back and train, Kakashi. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" A raised eyebrow on Kakashi's part quickly followed. "Tomoko, you —"

"Kakashi," I said. It took all I had for my voice to stay steady, and my exposed heart beat hard against my chest. "Please."

_I need to handle this somehow. Don't…please don't say anymore._

A brief moment of silence passed again.

Kakashi stared at me once more before letting out what could've been the millionth sigh of the day, walking towards me. Instinctively, I clammed up and closed my eyes, expecting some kind of retort, only for a hand to land on my head. I looked up, and Kakashi rolled his eyes almost playfully before that same hand slid down my hair to instead poke my cheek.

"Don't do anything ridiculous," he said flatly, poking my cheek again. "It'll be troublesome having to watch you along with the other Genin on this team."

"I-I'm not going to do anything ridiculous…"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me, almost challenging.

I continued to make eye contact with a frown, grabbing his hand before he could poke anymore. "Really…I'm not…"

Kakashi inclined his head while blinking, breaking off our current staring contest. Then, with yet another sigh, he nodded, wiggling his hand out of mine before raising his other in my direction while walking back to join his team.

And, unsurprisingly, a different hand landed on my head.

"It'll be okay, Tomoko-chan," Minato-san said softly. "We're all here if you need us."

I nodded and raised a hand to my eyes so that the tears wouldn't be as obvious.

* * *

It took everything Hikari had to keep walking.

Walking like nothing had happened. Waving at fellow civilians and ninja with a smile, just so that she could get to Training Ground Three.

The place of the Memorial Stone, and most importantly —

The place where Team Minato was for today. The place where her daughter was.

Judai's grip on her right hand was warm and tight as she continued to move forward, putting up that mask for others to see. Only he could really see what was going through her mind right now, and to be honest, Hikari was grateful for that.

There was only so much you could express on the streets before small bits of pity turned into quiet contempt from the crowd.

The memories of being a lone performer on said streets was enough for that.

_One step, two steps, three steps, four steps…_

Those kinds of thoughts were going through her head.

That is, until —

"Hikari-bachan?"

Kei's voice. Kei-chan, that wonderful, sarcastic little ninja who came to Tomoko's aid yesterday. From the looks of things, Hikari and Judai had just stumbled onto a training session, leaving Kei and Obito to look up from the grass with bewildered eyes.

Hikari smiled again, but the cracks were finally starting to show. Judai's grip was probably the only thing holding her back from a true breakdown. "K-Kei-chan, do you know where Tomoko-chan is?"

Kei blinked those black eyes, confusion morphing into clear understanding before a single pointer finger was raised. "Over there, Hikari-bachan," she said, finger now in the direction of the trees. "Minato-sensei and Kakashi are with her."

Hikari turned her head in the direction Kei was pointing at, only for her vision to blur.

Minato and Kakashi were there, with —

"Zzzz…zzzz…"

It once again took everything Hikari had not to run over and instead slow down to walking over in a semblance of composure, taking in everything. Judai's grip on her hand had disappeared, but for once, she didn't mind. All that was in her line of sight was the shade of the trees, Minato and Kakashi's quiet expressions while standing towards the side, and most important of all.

Tomoko-chan, her little girl, slumped against the tree behind her to snooze away. With how the little bits of sunlight illuminated her face, the illusion of peace seemed all the more real. The relaxed hands folded in the girl's skirt, the black hair strands framing her cheeks, and the soft smile on Tomoko's face.

It was as if everything was a dream. As if nothing bad had really happened.

Once Hikari reached Tomoko's feet, she was already collapsing to her knees and scooping the sleeping girl into a warm hug. She wasn't even meaning to cry, but the tears were finally falling down, with no restraint whatsoever, causing the girl to stir.

"Mm…" Tomoko mumbled as one of many droplets hit her face, and then those blue eyes opened for Hikari to stare into with a shaky smile. "…Mama? Mama, wha…"

"Tomoko-chan…Tomoko-chan…" Hikari squeezed the girl more, burying her nose into Tomoko's hair as the sobs became more apparent. "I-I'm sorry, Tomoko-chan…I'm sorry…" Her voice wasn't working anymore. "I'm sorry…"

"Mama…" A small hand reached over to her cheek. "It's okay…it's okay…" Hikari froze as soon as the same hand started petting her hair. "Mama's a good person, so there's no need to apologize. It's not Mama's fault…"

Hikari pulled away as soon as Tomoko smiled sleepily up at her.

_How could I—_

A tired laugh was already leaving her lips as she pulled that little girl into another hug, her heart already expanding from the warmth. "Oh, Tomoko-chan…Tomoko-chan…!"

"Mama…"

Another presence had lingered for a mere moment before larger arms wrapped around them both, a warm chuckle clearly signaling who it was. "Huh," Judai huffed softly, squeezing the two with a smile of his own as the faintest sign of his own tears showed in the corners of his eyes. "I guess we are lucky after all."

"…Papa?" said Tomoko from past Hikari's shoulder.

Judai only glanced at the girl with warm eyes before tightening the group hug with another chuckle. "Hikari and I are lucky to still have you, Tomoko-chan. And that's what matters."

Hikari was already outright sobbing from the relief as Tomoko smiled and returned the hug.

"I love you, Papa, Mama."

It was hard to miss the warm smiles Team Minato were sending each other.

* * *

Getting home was supposed to be the end of things. Getting back to a safe place was supposed to be the sign of normality coming back.

I wanted to believe that. So much.

…Despite how the scent of alcohol was still somewhat strong in my home. Even though it was a weekday, I didn't miss how the 'CLOSED' sign hung almost mockingly from the front doors as Papa fiddled with his pants pockets. "Where did I put the keys?" he muttered.

"Judai, please tell me you didn't misplace them," Mama said dryly, hands on my shoulders. Apparently, she wasn't intent on letting me go. Not that I minded, considering everything and how I just wanted to be with her and Papa right now.

"No, I didn't," and with that said, Papa continued to fiddle around before brightening up, opening the door for Mama and me to head in first. "Just needed to find…them…" Papa trailed off as soon as he walked in behind us.

So, he had noticed the scent of alcohol too.

Two words. _Gross_ and _Yuck._

"Don't curse, Judai," Mama said immediately, her hands going up to my ears.

"I wasn't going to," was the somewhat muffled answer, probably because of my ears being covered. "We have a bit of work to do."

" _A bit," seems like an understatement._

Even if the familiar scent of the cafe wafted around the area, it didn't change the fact that some of yesterday's carnage was still there permeating the peace. The broken chair was gone, but with the skid marks on the wooden tile floors, the few flecks of blood dotting a nearby table, and some of the broken remains of cups left in the bar area, it wasn't the best Nagareboshi Cafe could've been.

Mama removed her hands from my ears to instead grip my shoulders and turn me around. "Tomoko-chan, how about you head back up into the house and rest? Papa and I can handle this."

"What are you going to be doing, Mama?" The confusion rolling through my head wasn't the best thing to have in my mind right now.

Mama smiled almost wryly while squeezing my shoulders a little more. "Some clean-up, sweetie. I'll be up there with you in a little bit. Mama and Papa have to go and handle this mess first."

For some reason, I couldn't get out the feeling that Mama wasn't saying everything. As if she was still hiding something, and I couldn't figure out what it was. But with all that had happened yesterday and today, I couldn't find any words leaving my lips, my head already bobbing in a nod. "…Okay," I said finally. "Come back soon, Mama."

Mama smiled again, a softer gesture this time before leaning over me to plant a kiss on my head. It was a very different feeling from the times Vy experienced the same thing, but it was still warm. "That's my girl." She then turned me around again to lightly push me towards the back door. "I'll see you in a little bit."

I took a few steps forward to face the door before looking back. Mama and Papa were both staring at me, and the words came out instinctively. "Love you, Mama, Papa."

Papa grinned widely, already waving a hand in my direction by the time I turned around and opened the door to head back inside.

* * *

Hitoshi Mamoru woke up that morning as if the largest hammer had clobbered him in the head. The foul stench of something was the first warning sign, and he found himself rubbing his eyes before wincing.

_Blood…? Why do I smell—_

He lifted his right arm only to nearly gag.

What remained of the nice black suit sleeve that covered said arm was rags, dried streams of blood, and…

_Oh god._

Handcuffs. His right arm was connected to his left in dark grey, tight, menacing _handcuffs._

That's why it smelled like shit in here. Why he _felt_ like shit.

_I'm in a prison cell._

With that in mind, Mamoru looked around, trying to shake off the headache in the process. _What the fuck happened and why am I—_

The nearby door slammed open, and Mamoru knew it wasn't the door to his jail cell. Instead, light peered in from the new opening outside, from what seemed like a hallway leading to an exit, and Mamoru closed his eyes in an attempt to not get blinded. It took all he had to not curse, and the handcuffs made it more difficult than necessary.

Also. Why did it stink of _piss_ in here?

He shook his head as soon as the sound of footsteps approached, and a hand proceeded to touch the bars in front of him.

"Hitoshi Mamoru. Get up."

Judging by the gruff voice and backwash of shivers up his spine, the man already knew that he was in deep shit. It wasn't the Yellow Flash, but it was certainly someone to listen to.

Mamoru opened his eyes, only to squint against the light to make out a tall figure.

And then his jaw dropped.

"Ho-Ho…"

The Third Hokage, red hat and all, was looking down at him with the sternest face he had ever seen, and Mamoru found himself gulping.

_Oh no._

* * *

Hoshino Judai held back a sigh to instead face the former White Fang with what he hoped was a smile. But even then, Sakumo's eyes were already staring through him in a soul-piercing glance, so Judai let the gesture drop. "So. Is Tomoko-chan asleep now?"

Sakumo smiled wryly, nodding. "Yep. After reading some books to her, she fell asleep like a baby. It's been a long day." Sakumo then proceeded to incline his head, making the eye bags a little less obvious. "Are you sure you don't want me coming with you?"

"No," Judai said immediately, shaking his head. "This whole thing is really between Hikari, the jerk, and I, so you don't have to come, Sakumo. I would prefer if you could look after Tomoko-chan while we're gone. Kakashi should be fine with his team and Minato. I'm suspecting we'll be back by dinner."

_At least, I hope._

But knowing ninja business, Judai didn't have that much in terms of expectations.

The White Fang still didn't look convinced, but nodded anyways, silver ponytail brushing his neck. "Leave it to me."

A relieved huff left his throat as Judai felt a real smile come on his face. "Thanks, Sakumo."

Sakumo smiled back. "Of course. Least I could do."

Judai nodded before shouldering his tanto, tying his old headband around his head. The cold metal wasn't the best feeling against his skin, but this was important.

"Hikari?" Judai tried to keep his voice steady. "Are you ready yet?"

A moment of silent. Sakumo inclined his head as Judai tried not to tap his sandal against the floor, glancing around the hallway. "Hikari?"

"…Just a minute," was the quiet response. A sigh followed before anything happened, and when Judai caught sight of the first geta sandal peeking out past the wall, he took a step forward to rest a hand on Hikari's shoulder.

Without even asking, he knew that it was taking almost everything his wife had to stay together. The matching white yukata and hair ribbon were telling enough.

Judai sighed. "Hikari, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I know this is hard for you."

She immediately shook her head, side ponytail whipping her face as the stormy blue of her eyes stood out even more. "No, Judai. _No_. I-I have to go." Hikari tried to smile, and Judai already found his own grin dropping from his face just from looking at her.

The energetic violinist he had met so long ago seemed to have been replaced with this tired, weary woman who needed everything _but_ this visit. His loving wife, now almost reduced to a shell of her former self. Even then, the strong glint in her eyes said something. Something powerful. "I need to face Ma— _Hitoshi-san_ again if I want to move forward and be a better owner to Nagareboshi Cafe. To be a better mother to our daughter."

Judai held back a scoff to pull her into a hug. He didn't care anymore that Sakumo was right behind them. All that mattered was his wife needing his support. Right here, right now.

It was too late to turn back now.

"…Alright. Let's go."

* * *

Hitoshi Mamoru didn't know what to make of his situation.

Waking up in a dirty cell, handcuffed and run ragged was one thing.

Getting a lecture from the village leader was another.

And to top it all off, earning the ire of one of, if not _the_ , most influential Jounin of the entire village?

If he hadn't soiled himself yesterday from the whole mess, he would've shit his pants without question.

Hence his quiet gaze elsewhere, trying to focus on everything but his own figure right now. The cell's darkness helped somewhat in alleviating everything, but it still brought along one question.

Only yesterday, had everything been so hopeful. So... bright, cheery, all of those icky positive things. So then…

He probably should've kept it in his head had he known sooner.

"Wh…where did I go wrong?"

It was only supposed to be a small mumble. A mutter no one was supposed to hear.

And yet he still found himself jumping when a response came in the form of a near-growl.

"You messed up as soon as you targeted my _wife,_ you son of a bitch."

Mamoru raised his head, ignoring the dirty curls covering his eyes to look around. The faraway door didn't even open to show the light, so then why—

Heterochromatic eyes, one green and one red-orange, stared back at him in a narrowed, focused glare.

_Oh shit._

"Wh-Who…"

The shadow stepped out from the now dark doorway only for a metal Konoha leaf to shine back at him.

Mamoru gulped.

_**Oh shit.** _

The man standing before him was someone of supposed legend. A legend that should've long disappeared by now.

But judging by the red-green eyes staring at him, this was reality.

Yuki Judai, the infamous ' _Unscathed Hero_ ' himself, was glaring at him in all his war-hero glory, killing intent rolling off his figure in palpable waves. From all the fear running through his veins, Mamoru could barely register the green flak jacket and tanto on Judai's person.

If someone poked into Mamoru's head right now, they would probably find only snippets of words jumbled together into a mess barely resembling any train of thought.

"Y-You're…"

Judai raised a fist in the air to count of fingers. "Yuki Judai," he said, accompanied by his pointer finger. "The _husband_ of Hoshino Hikari, who _you_ tried to court," along with the rising of his ring finger. "And the _father_ of Hoshino Tomoko, the girl that _you_ tried to kill." The ninja proceeded to lower his previous fingers to instead flip Mamoru off, and if not for the metal bars separating the two, Mamoru had a bad feeling that Judai would've done more. "So, does that answer your question?"

The emotionless cold voice did nothing to make Mamoru feel better. He could already feel a wet puddle spilling at his feet again, and Judai only frowned, lowering his hand.

"So. You've finally realized how much you fucked up. That's great." Mamoru already knew the last part wasn't true by any means with how the air started getting colder. "Now normally, I would've swiped your head off, and we would be done here."

Mamoru shuddered. That would've been a mercy if anything.

Instead, Judai narrowed his eyes, heterochromia standing out even more in the darkness, before the air started turning warm.

Lukewarm, to be more exact.

_What?_

The Unscathed Hero took a step back, eyes still standing out as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Thing is, I'm not the one finishing this. Someone else has dibs."

Who? It couldn't be Hokage-sama, because he already had a say in things, considering how Mamoru was already preparing himself to live in this jail for the rest of his life. It couldn't be Namikaze Minato either, because the Yellow Flash proceeded to dump him here the day before without even glancing in his direction.

So then…who…?

Mamoru's heart froze as soon as another figure stepped out from the darkness, blue eyes even more obvious.

"Hi-Hikari—"

The violinist who stole everything he had only shook her head, the white yukata making it all the tenser. Along with the almost timid way the woman was conducting herself, from the slight fidget of her hands, the lower side-ponytail framing her neck, and the deep frown on her face, Mamoru could already feel tears.

"Hi-Hikari, I…I…" he tried not to choke in exchange for looking away, the white clothes making it more difficult. "I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

What greeted him was silence.

Without meaning to, Mamoru threw his head up, ignoring the puddle at his feet and the trails starting to carve their marks on his face. He couldn't let it end here. He couldn't. Not with the only person he ever loved standing there. "I-I know I wronged you, I know I did! I-If it makes you feel any better, take my wife and beat her! That'll be fair!" Because the banshee wouldn't be better for anything else otherwise. "Or just yell at me! Hit me, hate me, anything! Just…just…"

The tears were blinding now as everything stood still.

_Don't leave me…don't abandon me. Not after everything._

And yet, all he could hear was silence. The warm respite of air was long gone as his voice had been rudely exchanged for whimpers, his eyes trained on the ground again.

A soft breath that wasn't his sounded. "…I always wondered what you would say after everything yesterday. After all that's happened and all that time at the cafe. And even then, I can't fully understand _why..._ "

Mamoru looked up as soon as Hikari shook her head again, turning away so that he could only see her shoulders. "You were a friend to me, Hitoshi-san. That was how I saw things, and yet now…" Hikari shuddered, hair shading her eyes. "When I see you, I don't see the Mamoru-kun I grew to like as a regular. All I see now is a man not even — not even worth his salt."

 _Screw death._ This was _worse_ than even death _._

He was already choking.

"Please, Hikari…" Mamoru was already sobbing. "Please don't go…"

Hikari shook her head. "I'm sorry. For never returning your feelings. For things ending up like this. But…But I just can't stand this anymore, Mamoru-kun. My memories of all this transforming into hate." She took a step towards the darkness, and all Mamoru could see through the blurriness of his tears was her back.

"Good-bye."

The door opened with Judai putting an arm around the woman's shoulders. A small glimpse of light was all Mamoru had left, and he tried to reach out towards it, only for the image of that black hair and white yukata to slip between his fingers, the door closing it away forever.

In the new darkness, in the pits of that dirty, stinky cell, Hitoshi Mamoru started to bawl.

* * *

Judai made sure to never let go of his wife until they got home. Even if it meant enduring the stares of every single passerby on the walk back, he didn't care.

Hikari needed this. This time to process.

He squeezed her shoulders as soon as the large neon sign of Nagareboshi Cafe loomed above their heads. "Hikari."

Silence.

Judai inclined his head while squeezing her shoulders again. "Hikari."

Even more silence.

Judai sighed before gently pushing his key into the lock on the door, opening it seamlessly before pulling them both inside. The alcohol scent was long gone, along with any kind of light source if he didn't turn _on_ the lights, so he took the moment to do something else.

"…!"

He didn't even care that the position was awkward. That Hikari was frozen. All that mattered was showing the woman he loved that he still _cared_.

The kiss had only lasted for a few seconds, but by the time Judai had pulled away, a glint of something soft had returned to Hikari's eyes, and she was already starting to resemble the woman he met so long ago. "…What was that for?" she mused quietly.

"Do I really need a give a reason for kissing you?" Judai retorted, already lowering his face a bit more so that their noses touched. "After all this time?"

Hikari chuckled, and finally, _finally_ , he could see the smile he loved on her face. "True, that. But we're still in the cafe, y'know. And Tomoko-chan and Sakumo-kun are upstairs."

"Just a little bit, then," he shrugged, before leaning in again. "For the woman I love more than anyone else in the world."

Hikari blinked before flushing a deep red, jaw dropping soon afterwards, and he had to hold back a snicker in exchange for rubbing noses.

"I love you, Hikari. Don't forget that."

Hikari closed her mouth, blinked, and then inclined her head, soft smile on her face now.

"Just kiss me, you cheesy dork."

He chuckled.

"Don't mind if I do."

* * *

I would like to say that everything related to the "Drunk Guy Incident", or the "Loud _Motherf-er_ Incident" as Kei called it, ended there.

But, lo and behold, my dreams had more in mind that night.

This time, it wasn't even my past memories.

All I could make out this time were three things.

1) I was running away from someone.

2) That someone wanted to kill me, and no matter how far I ran, there was nothing I could do about it.

And, finally, 3) no one was there to help me. No Mama, no Papa, no Minato-san, no Kakashi or Obito.

No Kei.

And when those large, threatening hands finally closed around my throat, that's when I woke up.

Tears were in my eyes yet again, and I had to hold back the immediate urge to sob as I slipped out of my futon, trying to find some grip. Some hold on _something._

I didn't even realize I had stumbled into Mama and Papa's room before the tears were falling, and I was already too frozen to move. Once the first sob left my throat, Papa was already darting out of bed, looking around wildly before his eyes landed on me.

The green and red-orange hues faded for worried brown as a large hand reached over to my cheek. "Tomoko-chan? Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"P-Papa…Papa…!" I was already starting to cry, and from the looks of it, my tears had no intention of stopping. My heart was already frozen again. Damn it. "I-It hurts…it hurts…!"

Mama stirred with a soft groan before another pair of eyes landed on me to widen in shock, and soon enough, I found myself being pulled into Papa's lap. "Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, hey. Look at me, dear." Between all the sniffles, I could make out Mama's voice in front of me as two softer hands immediately cupped my face, wiping away tears. "What happened?"

"B-Bad dream…N-Nightmare…" It was hard to even choke out the words because all I could remember was the sensation of hands around my neck, squeezing tighter and tighter. "M-Mama…it hurts…it really hurts!"

I couldn't blame them for inviting the Gekkō family over the next morning to consider taking me to a Yamanaka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Not much to say here. I'm just grateful there isn't as much long-running angst as CP, considering that went on for at least…4-5 chapters? This little arc should wrap up in the next chapter or two, so it's already one shorter than the original "Drunk Guy" mishap I wrote a year back.
> 
> Another round of thanks to Lang and everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed, because it gave me the motivation to finish this. Feel free to comment anything in the reviews about this.
> 
> This is T, aka Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to now sleep.


	15. Hisako

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Lapizlazuli2512's piano cover of A Town with an Ocean View from Kiki's Delivery Service. I had to take from Studio Ghibli again, especially with this song in mind when writing, because it really conveys that contrasting sense of peace and uncertainty all at once. Really hammers it in considering how the original movie was all about growing up, which Kei and Tomoko are essentially trying to do, with some differences considering their shared reincarnation status.
> 
> An alternative theme for when everything draws to a softer close is again from Studio Ghibi, specifically pianomusiclvr's cover of Luminescent Signals from Ponyo On the Cliff of the Sea. This was actually taken from a small conversation I had with Lang on music notes (no pun intended), since she had listened to Chapter 14's soundtrack while I was thinking on themes for this one. So it worked.
> 
> Edit: For those of you who read the original version of this disclaimer, the above two songs were originally from a YouTube user known as Grooploop. However, when going through the OST playlist on YouTube, they had deleted the covers I originally referenced, hence the change above.
> 
> Finally, the song that Tomoko plays in the chapter is from Kyle Landry, specifically his cover of Reflection from Mulan. And yes, I know I'm taking from the CP OST for this. No worries, it's not meant to be sad, just…reflective, in a way. :) The original version of the song also works!
> 
> And for CP fans, the chapter title should be enough to clue you in on what's going to happen.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Chapter 15: Hisako_

It was one thing to be quiet in Hoshino Judai's mind.

It was another problem altogether when it was his own daughter keeping her mouth closed, saying nothing aside from the automatic responses when it came to food and getting up in the morning.

By the time Gekkō Wataru and Miyako were seated at the dinner table for their weekly "catching-up talks", Judai was trying not to throw an impatient fit at the whole situation.

"…That bad, huh?" Wataru started, as soon as he got a good look at Judai's face.

"You think?" Judai sighed while letting his chin rest on the table, slumping in his chair. "This is the second night, or something, I don't know anymore," — he threw up his hands in frustration — "Of Tomoko-chan having nightmares. It's not been fun."

"Understandable," Miyako said softly, inclining her head. "You have never been accustomed to a loved one going through such a predicament."

Hikari nodded vigorously as a response.

"Thing is…" Judai sighed again while slumping even more. "What should we do? Tomoko-chan's been way too quiet these days, and…er…"

He glanced over in his daughter's direction, only to hold back a wince because Tomoko wasn't really doing much of _anything_. Even if Hayate was at the Academy, Kakashi was busy doing something, and Kei was…elsewhere, it didn't excuse the fact that his daughter was motionless, leaning against a nearby pillar out on the patio and silent.

Hell, if he didn't know any better, Tomoko had taken some cues from the previously depressed Sakumo, apparently staring out into space with nothing indicating her living status aside from her light breathing and large bedhead.

At least she wasn't _crying_ , but the silence didn't make anything better.

"…Is she sulking?" Wataru said incredulously.

"Apparently, yes, Wataru," Miyako deadpanned. "Tomoko-chan is sulking."

Sakumo had coincidentally taken the time to walk into the room and blink at the same scene. "Oh," he said simply. "Here we go again."

Judai proceeded to slam his forehead into the table, ignoring the pain shooting through his nervous system.

' _Oh,' is the biggest understatement of the decade at this point._

"…Do you have any ideas on what we could do, Miyako-chan, Wataru-kun?" Hikari interrupted quietly. A hand started running through his hair, and Judai leaned into it almost greedily for the sake of having _something_ to focus on. "Judai and I have already run out of possible ideas, and Tomoko-chan hasn't been that responsive."

Miyako put a finger to her chin in thought, closing her eyes. Wataru in turn crossed his arms, humming audibly as time passed.

…

Judai was positive his eyebrow was twitching with each passing second. Thank god for his previous ninja skills, or else he would've yelled something out by now.

_What else is it going to take to bring Tomoko-chan back?_

The last thing he was expecting was for Kei to stroll into the room with a baby blue blanket in her arms, spreading it out on the ground with a blank face.

"Kei-chan?" Wataru blinked as the spectacle continued. "What are you doing?"

"Just a minute, Dad," Kei replied, smoothing the blanket one more time before getting up to stretch.

Miyako hid a chuckle. "Judai, I think we have found a temporary solution."

"And that is…?"

Kei proceeded to walk over to the door facing the patio, sliding it open while ignoring the stares trained into her back. Tomoko didn't move, so what resulted was Kei kneeling down to the girl's sitting stature and slowly reaching over to bring the civilian in a side-hug. Then, Judai blinked as Kei stood up, now apparently carrying Tomoko princess-style the entire time while walking back into the house.

"…?" was the quiet mumble. Tomoko didn't show much visible reaction, her hands still folded in the fabric of her nightgown, but the recognition in her eyes was obvious.

Kei proceeded to walk over to the spread-out blanket, setting Tomoko down so that she could lay on her back, before tucking one side of the blanket over the girl.

"…Kei-chan," Tomoko said almost listlessly. "What are you doing?"

"Making sushi," the ninja deadpanned, before proceeding to push at Tomoko's shoulder.

Hikari put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop the snickers as Sakumo took a seat to look away from the whole thing with shaking shoulders.

"…Um, wait." Emotion was returning to Tomoko's voice now after the first roll and how her face was currently towards the tile floor. "Sushi? Wait…from _me_?"

_Pffffft._

Kei pushed at the girl's side again, making the blanket roll all the more noticeable with each push. "Who else is around for me to do this with?"

By the time most of the blanket's surface area was taken up in the new blue, _Tomoko-chan_ , sushi roll, the girl deadpanned, "Kei, don't you _dare_ try to eat me." Then there was a pause. "Or tickle me."

"Why would I eat you? Do I look like the kind of evil person to do that?" Kei pushed at her friend's shoulder one more time to complete the last roll before pausing. "…Okay, fair enough."

Once Tomoko-chan was facing the ceiling again in her new blue sushi roll, a deadpan expression covered her face. "…Why?"

Judai was outright chuckling into the table as soon as Wataru started guffawing.

Kei wrapped an arm around the girl's head so that she could sit up without disturbing the roll, hugging her. "Because it's been a lot of stuff these past few days and you need all the hugs."

The color was already starting to come back to Tomoko's eyes as she blinked, half sitting, half leaning against Kei in the gesture. "…Do I?" she said finally, doubt seeping into her voice.

"Yes," Kei said immediately. "Yes, you do."

"…" The silence had come back, but the emotion had returned to the atmosphere as Tomoko leaned into the hug more with a soft smile, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Kei."

Kei rested her cheek on the girl's head. "No problem, Tomo-chan."

Judai hid an audible snort while turning back to the situation at hand. "Well, that's one solution you have there, Miyako."

"Of course," the swordswoman smiled serenely. "But there is another one that I have in mind."

He blinked. "There is?" He inclined his head. "There's more than that?"

Hikari stopped laughing. "What is it?"

Miyako glanced at Wataru, sharing eye contact for a moment before turning back to them and inclining her head. "How do you both feel about Yamanaka Inoshi?"

* * *

Hoshino Hikari didn't know what to expect when taking her daughter to the Yamanaka Compound. Maybe it was the whole aspect of ninja therapy that got to her, or the simple truth that Tomoko-chan wasn't as well off as she would've liked.

Sure, Hitoshi Mamoru was locked up for what Judai told her coarsely as, "life," but it didn't change the fact that Tomoko-chan wasn't…well, _Tomoko-chan_. Happy, smiling, Tomoko-chan.

Probably why no one around her, whether from the staff or Nagareboshi regulars, questioned hers and Judai's joint decision to close the cafe for a few days. Tomoko-chan needed help, so she was going to get it.

But…really? A _ninja therapist_?

Now, there was no questioning the fact that Hikari trusted Gekkō Miyako a lot. Call her one of her only best friends even, considering how close they had become over the years thanks to their daughters. But that didn't change the fact that a ninja therapist…welp, didn't give her the best of feelings. Especially considering how quirky some ninja could be in general.

Still, Yamanaka Inoshi already had a checkmark in the approval list from not even questioning the situation further and ushering them in for the upcoming psychological evaluation.

…Actually, make that two checks with how he didn't shoo Judai or Hikari away when he had to dive into Tomoko-chan's head.

The only thing that really worried her, was, welp—

"Hikari, you're kinda cutting off the blood to my hand."

She tried not to yelp for the sake of keeping up Inoshi's concentration, shrinking into herself while withdrawing her grip. Judai watched her with what felt like an air of amusement, like-what-the-hell, grinning. _And wasn't he the one who said his hand was—_ "I know you're worried, but Tomoko-chan's okay. She's right there, Inoshi's going to get a good look at what's going on, and things should be okay. We both know this."

Hikari stared into those brown eyes for a few moments before glancing away in Tomoko-chan's direction, the large hand on the girl's forehead all the more glaring. If not for that hand, it would've been like the girl was peacefully asleep. Now…sleep on the other hand. Hikari shook her head. "…I know, Judai, I know, but—"

It was hard to get the doubt out of her head when the absence of any had started this whole fiasco in the first place.

 _If I just didn't trust Hitoshi-san so easily, maybe things would've_ —

Judai sighed before reaching over to rest a hand on the back of her head, and Hikari found herself lurching forward before her forehead touched his. The gesture was soft despite the initial shove, and she blinked.

"Judai?" she said finally.

"I know you're worried, Hikari," Judai said quietly, voice almost a wisp in the air. Probably to not disturb the mental therapy session going on almost a few lengths away from them. "I am too, don't get me wrong." His breath fanned her cheeks, and Hikari only just realized how little distance there was between them. "But Inoshi's a pro at this. And I highly doubt Miyako and Wataru would give us a bad recommendation." Judai laughed softly, and Hikari's heart beat against her chest. "So," her husband smiled, warmth in his eyes. "Let's just wait for our little girl to come back, okay?"

Hikari broke eye contact to look in said girl's direction and nod. The small, shaky smile on her face was hard to miss. "Alright."

* * *

The first thing that went through my head when going under was the sensation of a dam being broken open. My vision blurred despite my real-life-eyes closing, and it almost felt like Minato-san's Hiraishin Jutsu with how much my stomach was flipping.

Then, my feet found solid ground.

Wait. Feet? Why did my feet feel warm and covered, and— _holy crap_ , they're covered and not cold and feel like stockings, like what—

I opened my eyes and looked down at myself.

"…Oh my god," was my rather intelligent answer.

Now, I'm not all that sure on things such as mindscapes and psychology, since my past self only had the barebones of that kind of knowledge from _Kingdom Hearts_ , _Inuyasha_ (at least, I _think_ it was Inuyasha), and Leo of all people when it came to that stuff.

Probably explained why seeing myself, or my _mental self_ at least, decked entirely in a new outfit was _strange_. Sure, I was still at the same height, being a shortie in comparison to Kei, but things felt different with the outfit change.

Weird? Yes. Awesome to look at? Another yes.

I did an experimental twirl in place.

The galaxy-patterned kimono dress shimmered with the movement, almost sparkling in the soft rays of light coming from the ceiling with the soft constellations and midnight blue colors staring back. If I didn't know any better, the stars seemed to _move_ along with me, glittering against the black lace of the skirt and sleeve hems. The kimono obi and collars themselves were a dark black, rivaling a black hole in a way, and if not for the white stockings and usual geta sandals, I probably would've been lost looking at it all.

A sparkle from my right side caught my eye, and I turned only for my hair to flop forward and a bright _orange_ hair ribbon showing up to greet me.

"…Whoa," I said succinctly. The ribbon didn't do anything, only flutter and sparkle because it was just as _pretty_ as the dress if not more so, and I found myself reaching out with a hand to touch it. "If not for the fact I'm in my own head right now, this would be really great to wear in real life. Kinda feels weird."

"Something to consider when asking your mother, no doubt." Yamanaka Inoshi said finally, and I surprised myself by not jumping and instead looking over in his direction, meeting weary but patient blue eyes. "Nonetheless, your mind isn't the worst it could be, considering others I've walked in, but this is almost…different."

"What do you mean by—" I stopped as soon as everything started hitting me.

We were in my mind, but…it didn't _look_ like a mind to me.

Rewind. I was kinda expecting to see the inside of an actual brain—pink muscle, nerves and everything.

Not a library.

Not a full-fledged, college-sized _library._

No matter where I looked, all I could see were shelves and shelves of books. Not just any books. No, they weren't worn or torn, or weary at all. These books were colorful, bright, and _missing any signs of titles on their spines._

Huh?

I had raised one hand, just one, only for a bright blue book akin to a novel size to immediately yank itself out of its sitting position in the middle of a shelf, zooming over to me like a small car. Once it was in reaching distance, it stopped to raise itself upright, hovering gently.

I inclined my head at it, only for the book to mimic me in the same gesture.

"Uhhhh…"

The book moved up and down in the air, almost motioning to my hand.

"Oh," I said, before gently raising my right hand towards it. The book stopped floating as soon as my fingers touched the cover, and it fell into my hands with a soft thud. Despite its size, it barely weighed that much in my grip, allowing me to hold the spine with just my right palm while I used my left to gently open the covers.

The last thing I was expecting was for the insides to glow before producing a bubble that played akin to a movie. A little bit of static followed before the image focused, and my heart stopped as soon as the image of a younger, _6-year old Kei_ , showed up, walking over to a 6-year-old me sitting at the piano.

This book was playing my memory of meeting Kei for the first time.

Once the Kingdom Hearts tunes started echoing in the distance, I found a smile growing on my face.

"…I missed this." A sigh left me. "Peace like this."

The smile my past self had when talking with Kei was proof of that. I knew that the one I was wearing paled in comparison.

Inoshi-san went on to hum thoughtfully. Even with his peering over my shoulder, his presence wasn't invading to say the least. "So," he said finally after a moment. "Do you know why you've been having dreams of flashbacks like this, Tomoko-chan?"

I paused. Normally in this kind of situation, it would be completely normal and valid of me to freak out like all freaking heck, but whether it was because this was my mind or I was being strangely calm, I wasn't sure. Instead of a squeal, what left me was a simple and soft, "Just a minute."

The memory played out the last scene of my past self approaching Kei for that talk that started everything before the book stopped glowing and closed. Despite it being a clear hardcover, the book felt almost warm in my hands, almost blinking at me with the feeling before floating upwards and back towards the shelf where it came from again.

"…You really care for that girl, don't you?" Inoshi said. The question felt like a diversion, but I ignored the soft tingle of doubt in my chest to smile.

"She's my bestest friend in the whole wide world," I replied honestly, lowering my hands before turning to him. "And to answer your previous question, I'm not fully sure. Maybe…trauma? Fear? I don't know."

A few more books proceeded to float away from their homes in the shelves to fly around us, opening up to show some more bubbles. I poked a black one, which had remained closed, only to lurch back from the image of the drunk customer's face showing up as soon as it snapped open. "After…well, after that man tried to attack me a few days back, I've been having these flashbacks. Dreams. I guess whatever you can call them."

Inoshi sighed. "I see. But the subconscious doesn't always deal in facts, Tomoko-chan. And for your dreams, how do you know who the subjects are?"

Another question to catch me off guard? I didn't know how to respond, and apparently, my mind seemed to agree with my mindset because a bright light shined from the corner of the room, almost like a huge distraction, leaving a simple door in its wake.

I blinked at it. "Uhhhh, that's…different."

Inoshi hummed again, taking a step forward towards the door. "Your subconscious is receptive to say the least." Once he had a hand on the doorknob, he turned to me. "Shall we go?"

I gulped.

"Okay."

* * *

When the being known only as Hisako came to be, she wasn't really sure of what to make of her situation. All that was ingrained in her thoughts was, "Protect your side of the library," and "Take care of Hoshino Tomoko."

Hoshino Tomoko. Her other self?

Her Somebody?

Considering how she had yet to meet the girl, Hisako didn't know what to think of it. Sure, Hisako herself wasn't a full _human_ , even in her other self's memory-standards. Nonetheless, the soft pounding in her chest was real.

Like she had a real heart.

"Why?" Hisako muttered, only to blink at the sound of her voice. Was it…always so tired?

She blinked before brushing it off. Instead, what came to her attention was how _messy_ her room was.

Full darkness, strewn away bubbles of various images, not even a hint of any book, and…

Wait a minute.

Was that a memory- _alligator_?

Sheesh, her new self certainly had some issues if animals were showing up. Especially in a library environment, which was originally supposed to be _quiet._ Then again…

Her own status as a _Nobody_ said a lot, didn't it?

Hisako made sure to tie her long brown hair up into a ponytail before materializing a broom. The alligator growled, but refused to move.

Her Somebody would be here soon. Maybe in…

Hisako changed the broom into a vacuum as soon as the sound of footsteps rang above her.

Pressing the power button to the vacuum handle, she smiled. The alligator roared in protest before being drowned out by the sound of suction.

* * *

The next morning was another day of training. Kei wasn't exactly looking forward to it, considering how things had gone down in the past month, and _one_ teammate's apparent bad mood.

By the time Obito had fallen down yet again, Kakashi had crossed his arms and looked away with an upward jutting of his chin. It was obvious, even with the shuriken-patterned scarf helping cover part of his expression, that something was going on.

He wasn't being a jackass, but he wasn't exactly…responsive either, like he normally would be.

"Kakashi?" Minato-sensei was the first to speak in the silence, blinking. "Is something wrong?"

"…No, not really," Kakashi said, and Kei blinked at the honesty. More so with how his lightning chakra wasn't even flickering in the air, strangely calm. "Something's on my mind, I guess."

"What got your pants up a notch?" Obito said incredulously, sitting up from the grass. Apparently the spar wasn't making him as angry as usual?

Kei held back a snort.

The lightning chakra buzzed for a moment as Kakashi turned in their directions with a raised eyebrow.

Then Kei decided to chip in her thoughts. "Is there something going on at home? With Tomoko-chan?"

Bullseye. Kakashi blinked as his chakra clearly stood still from the surprise. Then, he sighed, nodding. "Judai-jichan actually reopened Nagareboshi Cafe today."

_Huh?_

Obito unintentionally echoed her thought aloud. "Huh?" he said incredulously.

Minato-sensei made a neutral noise, looking like he was caught between understanding and something else that was unreadable.

Kei paused before formulating an answer. "I thought it was going to be closed until this Saturday?"

Kakashi nodded, uncrossing his arms while tapping his sandal against the ground. "I left before I could hear it all during breakfast, but things smelled different. More…pleasant." The last word came out almost unfocused in tone as he shrugged. "I didn't see Tomoko this morning, so…"

 _Okay then._ Kei frowned. "Should I go check up on them later?"

Kakashi shrugged again, stoic face back on. "Hn."

**Might as well take that as a "Yes."**

Minato-sensei shook his head with a fond smile. "After our drills, Kei-kun, okay?"

"Alright," she said obediently. Certainly provided a lot more motivation behind the usual teamwork collaboration with Obito and Plot rearing its head.

* * *

Kei never thought about it before, but she missed seeing the "OPEN" sign hanging from Nagareboshi Cafe's front doors. Walking through the doors was one thing, but after everything that went down, the previous lack of any light was discouraging.

With the warm yellow beaming through the glass windows, it was a good enough sign as any.

So, with the new additions of piano music and the scent of dango wafting from the cracks between the two large doors, Kei took a breath and twisted the doorknob.

Immediately, the warm interior of the cafe greeted her, and Kei had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming this up.

**Did they remodel?**

It was as if Nagareboshi Cafe was newer, gentler somehow. Nothing had really changed in appearance aside from the softer lighting, but the atmosphere was different.

Kinder? Was that the right word for it?

Kei glanced around, only to blink as soon as she focused in on center stage.

The last note of a song had faded into the air in exchange for warm applause, and a clearly coherent _Tomoko_ was there, sitting at the piano, smiling and all in a bright white, spring-colored kimono dress.

**Is that…**

"Tomoko-chan, that was _wonderful_." A clearly younger, not-yet- _Nara_ Yoshino stood up from her seat near the piano, clapping her hands once more. The widow's peak, low brown ponytail, and angular face all screamed a certain Nara. Surprisingly, she wasn't yelling like her infamous canon counterpart. "It's good to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back," Tomoko replied coolly, the same soft smile on her face. "Thank you for coming, Yoshino-san."

Yoshino smiled back before gently dropping a few ryō coins in a nearby jar and waving. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Tomoko-chan!"

Tomoko _beamed._ "Have a wonderful day, Yoshino-san!"

 **She sounds normal,** said the Dreamer. **Did Inoshi work things out?**

Kei decided not to answer that and went on to check up on things herself, walking over to the stage and sitting down in the empty chair.

It took about 2-3 seconds for Tomoko to notice, and Kei blinked as soon as the smile slid off the civilian girl's face. "K-Kei-chan?"

That wasn't good. Her voice was shaking again.

"Hey," Kei started, trying not to sound nervous. "It's good to see you."

And then Tomoko's chakra started to waver, just in time for tears to start bubbling in her eyes.

_Oh shit._

"T-Tomo-chan?!" Kei fumbled, already feeling uncomfortable.

"N-no, no, no, Kei, w-wait a second!" Out of all the things Kei was expecting from the girl was warm, bubbly laughter as Tomoko smiled, wiping at her eyes with a kimono sleeve. "I-I'm okay, I'm okay! Really!"

"Doesn't look or sound like it to me," she deadpanned.

"H-Hehe, that's true, huh?" Tomoko wiped at her face again with the same sleeve, but the pure, watery smile on her face was unmistakable. "Sorry about that. I-I'm just really _glad_ to see you. But lemme restart that again." With a breath, Tomoko inclined her head. "Hi."

"Hey yourself," Kei said slowly, grinning back. "You okay?"

**Are you sure you want to start with that?**

Tomoko blinked before immediately reaching over and pressing the nearest privacy seal, a flare of warm chakra alerting Kei to its activation. A pause followed. "Um, yeah? I think?"

Kei raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh," Tomoko glanced away, caught between pursuing her lip and pouting of all things, before scratching her cheek. "Like I said? I _think_ I'm okay?"

"…Tomoko, that isn't really reassuring." Kei deadpanned.

The civilian made a noise caught between a squeak and a sigh before making eye contact, light back in the familiar blue. "T-to clarify, Kei, could I ask you something first?"

"Shoot." Kei said.

Tomoko blinked, her face clearly betraying surprise at the sudden reply. "Um, okay." She fiddled with the hem of her dry kimono sleeve. "Well…"

Kei inclined her head.

Tomoko's chakra wavered again before she blurted it out.

"D-Do you have experience with Nobodies?!"

Kei nearly fell out of her chair alone from the sheer volume of the question. "Bwuh?" She tried to recompose herself. "Nobodies? No hearts, the soul after a Heartless takes over the original body, _that_ kind of Nobody? A Roxas-like Nobody?"

Tomoko turned an embarrassed red, making a noise akin to a tea kettle. "K-Kinda that, and k-kinda not~?! I-I mean, um, er, I-I, uh."

**Stop her before another rambling session happens.**

"Tomo-chan." As if by magic, Tomoko immediately closed her mouth. Kei grinned wryly. "Take a deep breath."

The civilian inhaled slowly, holding the breath almost immediately. A hand went over her heart as she went on to exhale.

Kei waited a few more seconds before saying anything. "You okay?"

Tomoko nodded wordlessly.

Kei grinned again. "Try again, only slower this time."

"O-Okay…" Tomoko huffed a breath before raising a pointer finger in the air for emphasis. "K-Kei-chan, you went to Yamanaka Inoshi too when you had nightmares, right?"

"Yeah…and?" Kei prompted.

"D-Did…did you…" Tomoko fumbled with her hands. "D-Did you have a mind break too? An alternate self show up?"

"…I'm going to assume that's one hell of a loaded question," Kei said finally, frowning. "Is it?"

Tomoko opened her mouth, only to blink and close it immediately, opting for a single nod.

Kei pinched the bridge of her nose while leaning back against her chair. " _Fuck,_ " she said simply. "Reincarnation _sucks._ "

Tomoko made a noncommittal noise caught between agreement and her usual, nervous squeak. "S-So, you have another self living in your head with you, Kei? A-Another you?"

"Technically two," and Kei raised two fingers in the air for emphasis. "But one's…unresponsive and the other is my control booth. Anyways, voices in your head shouldn't worry you too much, Tomo-chan, since I'm in the same boat." She pointed to herself. "Ninja with reincarnation troubles too, okay?"

Tomoko blinked before wincing, and a hand went up to her head. "Y-yeah…"

Kei huffed a breath. "Is that why you called your…other self a Nobody?"

Tomoko nodded immediately, the same grim look on her face. "Th-this is really the first time ever I've had someone other than myself in my head, and i-it kinda feels _really_ weird. I wasn't sure how to refer to her otherwise, except by name." She shook her head, grimace more obvious. "My Nobody's kind of…uh."

"What?" Kei said.

Tomoko ducked her head, ears turning a slight pink through her black hair. "M-my other self is kinda belting out a RWBY song at the top of her lungs right now. _N-Neon_ , from Volume 3, actually."

Kei raised an eyebrow. "Sounds inconvenient," she said mildly.

Tomoko fumbled with her hands again. "I-It's not a bad song, by the way, it's just…" The girl took a deep breath. "Hisako's not like Roxas. At all. She has more stubbornness than me, I think."

"…Okay." Kei said finally, letting the specific music note on the aptly named Hisako drop, no pun intended. "But if she's a part of you given agency, that didn't come from nowhere. It's yours too."

Tomoko immediately raised her head, eyes as wide as saucers. "…Really?" Her voice wavered between shock and disbelief. "I-I mean, I know she's my Nobody, but really? Y-You're not fazed?"

Kei shrugged. "Again, one of mine is comatose and the other just makes the occasional comment. The fact that we can compare these experiences at all does mean I've got a pretty high threshold for "weird." Leaving out the reincarnation thing."

"Oh." Tomoko paused, fidgeting with the hem of her dry kimono sleeve again before looking up with eyes rivaling Hayate on some days. "…Kei, can I hug you now? Please?" Her voice cracked with relief.

"Yes." Kei was already opening her arms to offer, and Tomoko only took a second to nearly jump into them. If not for the close distance, this could already qualify as a lighter version of the usual tackle-hug.

Once the civilian had settled in resting her face against Kei's shoulder, she paused. "…Kei-chan, why does your sweater smell of sweat?"

Kei snorted. "I just finished a few sets of drills before seeing you, why else would I sweat?"

"Oh," Tomoko repeated, before wrapping her arms around Kei's middle and squeezing for a second. "Still snuggly," she muttered.

Kei shook her head with an exasperated smile. "Tomo-chan, is there _anyone_ you hug aside from me?"

Another pause. "There's Papa," Tomoko started in a matter-of-fact tone, her reply muffled from Kei's jacket. "And Mama. And Sakumo-jichan, Hayate, Miyako-bachan, Wataru-jichan, Rin-chan, Obito-kun, and sometimes Kakashi."

… **Sometimes? He's the one who gave us the idea to come here in the first place.**

_If not for us deciding to do it already._

The Dreamer went quiet at that.

In the meantime, Kei snorted again. "Why is Kakashi the exception?"

"He doesn't like hugs that much," Tomoko answered in the same tone, pulling away to glance to the side and pout. "And he's kinda stiff in hugs. Papa and Kei are better at relaxing."

_Pfft._

Kei shook her head. "Picky much?"

Tomoko was silent, continuing to pout as an answer. "… _Mu_ , do you want a song or not?"

 _Whoops._ "Yes, please." Kei answered immediately.

" _Mu_ ," Tomoko repeated dryly. "I need to stop being picky…" was the following, dismissive mumble before she turned back to the piano keys. "Here we go…"

Kei leaned back into her seat, closing her eyes as soon as the first note was played. But even with the familiar flow of Tomoko's chakra in the air, it didn't stop Kei from flinching at the sound of the melody coming together.

Solemn, but _sad_?

_Look at me._

_I will never pass for the perfect bride, or a perfect daughter._

_Can it be,_

_I'm not meant to play this part?_

_**Reflection**_ **?** The Dreamer said incredulously. **Why this song?**

Kei couldn't even get the lyrics out of her head.

_Now I see, that if I were truly to be myself,_

_I would break my family's heart._

_Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?_

_Why is my reflection someone I don't know?_

_Somehow, I cannot hide_

_Who I am, though I've tried._

_When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

It took the last chord for the words to hit.

_When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

**She's worried,** the Dreamer finished quietly.

 _Of course she would be._ Kei opened her eyes only to blink at Tomoko, who was staring at her own hands with wide eyes. "I-I was not expecting to play that."

Kei paused before opening her mouth. "Was it Hisako's choice or yours, Tomo-chan?"

Tomoko pursued her lip, pressing her pointer finger against her forehead. A few moments of silence passed before the civilian said anything. "Hisako says it wasn't her, and I wasn't _consciously_ intending that, so…unconscious choice, I think?"

"Chakra-choice?" Kei filled in.

"Maybe?" Tomoko shrugged helplessly. "But…I do feel a bit better." She giggled softly into her hand. "I haven't played that song in, like, _ever_. It felt nice."

Kei snorted before reaching over and draping an arm around her friend's shoulders. "It's good to have you back, Tomo-chan."

Tomoko laughed again, happier. "Yeah…yeah. Thanks, Kei."

Kei inwardly noted the slight traces of 'Mom' and lightning chakra nearby, deciding not to comment.

Kakashi's silence was good enough thanks for anything. For now.

* * *

Behind the doors of the kitchen, Hikari let out the breath she was holding onto with a quiet huff. A slow smile climbed onto her face as she closed the small gap with a pull of the doorknob, weight almost nonexistent on her shoulders.

"…We might need to work on Tomoko-chan's chakra a bit more," Miyako interrupted from the back corner of the kitchen, arms crossed. "I could feel her uncertainty all the way here. And in this time of war, I do not think that is the best thing to be projecting in a cafe environment."

"At least she's projecting something _other_ than quiet silence, Miyako-chan," Hikari breathed, shaking her head. "And I'll take that much for now, at least for today."

Miyako blinked before smiling serenely. "Nonetheless, I am happy for you, Hikari-chan. Nagareboshi is back in business starting today, no?"

Hikari chuckled into her sleeve, nodding. "Yep. And Tomoko-chan is back. I'm happy about that."

Miyako blinked before inclining her head. "We still have a lot of work to do, however."

"I know." Even then, with the implications of those words weighing on her head, the smile refused to slide off Hikari's face. "But our daughters are happy right now. I'll do as much as I can to keep it that way."

"So shall I," Miyako finished quietly, a smile of her own gracing her cheeks. "Thank you for inviting me to see this through, Hikari-chan."

Hikari rolled her eyes playfully. "What are you talking about? I should be thanking you, Miyako-chan." At the swordswoman's confused glance, Hikari turned towards the kitchen door windows, peeking through only to catch a glimpse of Tomoko's smile.

"You gave Tomoko-chan her first friend in Kei-chan, Miyako-chan. That warrants a lot more thanks than what you're implying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: A combination of lots of feels, Hisako showing up, and the original Reflection song spurred me to finish this chapter. I was not expecting this to take so long, but school can be a real ass-kicker sometimes. More so when it's a quarter system and you somehow bomb 2 out of 5 midterms.
> 
> '\\_(-^-)_/'
> 
> Anyways, the Drunk Man Incident is officially over in terms of immediate repercussions, at least from what I can see as a school-working-Writer-Artist as of right now. Buuuut, that means another arc is coming up! And it contains two words, starting with "C".
> 
> :) This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing off to finish Chapter 48 of Civilian Pianist and go back to studying for finals! See you guys at Chapter 16 and in CP!


	16. Hurdles & Prep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is HypochondriacPiano's cover of Terra's Theme from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. I actually had trouble coming up with a theme originally because of what this chapter covers, but once again, I have Lang to thank since she listened to the songs I had in mind and gave me feedback, leading me to this winner. Borrowed from CP's OST, it works!
> 
> An alternative song, for more of the quiet, "Rising Action", moments, comes again from HypochondriacPiano, being Ventus's Theme. For those of you wondering about the song choice, let's just say that the drama from the village isn't over by a long shot, and The Sea and Stars is about to go into some territory I wish Civilian Pianist covered sooner.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 16: Hurdles & Prep_

If there was one thing I found myself steadily growing to hate when it came to living in the ninja world, it was the amount of surprises.

Don't get me wrong, there were some good ones over the past year. Being able to witness Team Minato's first D-rank mission and training sessions together; attending Hayate's entrance ceremony; and, the best part in my opinion, having a close-knit group of family and friends from the ninja side of society that successfully kept me in the dark about some of the bad things that came to being an over-emotional civilian.

But, when it came to the time that Kei and the others were given the news of their going into the _Chunin Exams_ — two months after the _last_ incident in the circle had come to pass — no one was really all that happy except for Obito. And perhaps Rin. And Hayate.

Nonetheless.

Reality just _had_ to crash down as soon as I started getting used to Hisako being an ever-constant presence in my head.

I actually didn't find out until the morning after the announcement. It was another break-day for me, with Mama saddling me up with the usual picnic basket of goodies for Rin and strapping the portable keyboard along my back. Then, a continuation of the routine, with Papa guiding me to the hospital doors, waiting for Yamaguchi-sensei to show up. After everything in the past few months, Mama and Papa have been a bit more protective than usual, escorting me almost everywhere except for Kei's house and Training Ground Three.

Not that I could blame them, but that wasn't the point.

…Whoops, did I lose you? Sorry. Rewind.

These days, breaks from the cafe meant training with Wataru-jichan and Miyako-bachan in the afternoons before picking up Hayate, and spending the mornings with Rin-chan. She may have had an apprenticeship with Yamaguchi-sensei, but that didn't stop her from convincing him to, well, _temporarily_ hire me. The war meant there was a lot more trauma and hurt spiraling in the hospital, and my music apparently did wonders to calm everyone down. It all started with my playing a small tune for Rin, and Yamaguchi-sensei overheard, so it stuck.

So, on break days, the mornings meant I was hospital performer. In afternoons, Hayate's other sister and Miyako-bachan's new student. Woo.

Thankfully, I wasn't doing as much as Kei and Hayate in terms of swordsmanship, since _bruises_ , but I'm just saying this now. Accidentally falling asleep during meditation is one of the worst mistakes to ever make.

Even if Miyako-bachan never really lashed out at me for it. Thankfully.

Anyways. Another trip, meeting up with Rin-chan, and going around passing out the goodies Mama gave me was one thing.

The last thing I was expecting was for Yamaguchi-sensei to pop up behind us.

"Rin-chan, after your rounds, head over to Training Ground Three." The scent of tobacco breath was prominent, even from over my shoulder, and I tried not to gag. No matter how many years it's been, smoke breath still was horrible. "You'll be meeting up with your future teammates for preparations on the Chunin Exams."

_What._

**What.** Hisako repeated.

It took everything I had to not drop everything in my hands. "…Yamaguchi-sensei," was the quiet, rather strange voice that escaped my throat. "I hope I didn't hear you say something wrong, but just in case, could you repeat that for me?"

Rin-chan gave me a sideways look.

Without even looking behind me, I knew Yamaguchi-sensei rolled his eyes. "Fine. Rin-chan is going into the Chunin Exams with two other Genin, Tomoko-chan, happy?"

 **Fuck no.** Hisako said immediately.

"…Amused," I found myself saying again in the strange tone. "Shocked, surprised, all that." If I didn't know any better, I sounded like a strangled Jedi on a bad day. If that was a good enough analogy. "Is that all?"

Rin's sideways look was starting to emit lots of worry.

"Basically," Yamaguchi-sensei drawled. "Look, Tomoko-chan, I'm not going to butter this up for you. Ninja are going to have to be ninja, especially with the war hanging over our heads. Music doesn't keep us away from the headband forever."

My insides started to feel like ice.

For the first time this month, a rush of concern flooded my mind. **Tomoko-chan—**

"…I see," I said finally. "Thanks."

Yamaguchi-sensei paused, a clear huff through his nose echoing through the stiff air. "You're welcome."

Yep, that was sarcasm. Now I could see where Kei got her comebacks sometimes.

Rin spoke up, her voice soft amongst the turmoil going through my head. "Tomoko-chan?"

"I'll be fine, Rin-chan," and strangely, despite the false sense of cheeriness in my voice, it was easy to get myself perky again. "Better to hear the truth now than later."

Glancing in her direction for the first time in a while resulted in my meeting worried brown eyes that set me on edge. _Shoot._ "That's true, but Tomoko-chan—"

"Not now, Rin-chan," I said finally, shaking my head with the brightest smile I could offer. "Not now, okay?"

She opened her mouth, only to close it and nod. I could tell from the look on her face that she willingly let the subject drop, but not entirely.

Why was it that when I looked at my medic friend, one of the closest people I had in my circle of ninja who hopefully wouldn't see as much battle as the others, I saw a face that already reminded me of _Kei_?

_Determined, aren't you. No matter what I say…_

Hisako lightly prodded me. **Tomoko-chan.**

 _I'm okay, Hisako._ I took a breath before proceeding to walk forward again, holding the picnic basket a bit tighter to my chest. _I'll be okay._

My other self hummed a tune, almost reminiscent of Madoka or RWBY, before letting her touch fade.

"Anyways," and the surprises my voice seemed to give just weren't letting up, judging by the hidden sarcasm with the usual sound. "Yamaguchi-sensei, don't you have some patients to tend to? Rin-chan and I probably need some time to have a girl-talk."

I only glanced back once to catch the fading whiffs of smoke.

 **Well, that was disappointing.** Hisako shrugged. **I would've liked to see a yelp, or a shriek, anything would've worked.**

And to think my other self was starting to sound like a very toned-down sadist.

"…He's been smoking again," Rin-chan mused dryly, waving a hand in front of her face. "Thank goodness I bought a shirt that tells him otherwise."

 _Eh._ I turned my head in her direction again, the strangeness finally dropping from my voice. "Rin-chan, by chance, have you—"

Rin shrugged, smiling all the same while holding up her clipboard. "Yamaguchi-sensei put in the papers for adoption the last week. Didn't you notice him calling me with "-chan" earlier?"

Before any congratulations could be said, I found myself deadpanning, "…But I thought everybody does that."

Rin blinked, lips pursued in a line of clear surprise, before she threw her head back and laughed. Loud, happy, and echoing. " _Hahaha_ , no, Tomoko-chan! Not everybody does!"

An eyebrow raised itself on my head. "Name one person who doesn't."

Rin wiped a tear away from her eye before inclining her head at me. "Minato-sensei."

…

Hisako rolled her eyes while raising a sign from between two library shelves that clearly said, _Rin-chan wins!_

I found myself hiding a chuckle between my fingers. "Okay, okay, I concede the fight."

"Pffft," Rin giggled again. "Oh, Tomoko-chan. We weren't even fighting."

"Meh," I waved it off with a happier grin. "If you were Kei right now, I'd have half the urge to tackle you in a hug and not let go." The skip in my step while continuing along Rin's rounds quickly became obvious as I tried to avoid hitting passerby with my keyboard. "Hugs are good at silencing people."

The medic gave me an exasperated smile. "Don't you hug everyone that way?"

"Nope," I mused honestly. "Only to the best of the best. And I think Team Awesomeness counts, don't they?"

Rin raised a pointer finger, only to blink. "That's true."

"So," I drawled, hefting the picnic basket in my arms. "What's stopping me from hugging you right now?"

Rin blinked before her eyes narrowed into an unamused stare, her free hand immediately coming up to lightly push my shoulder. Immediately, I found myself yelping, suddenly bouncing on one foot while trying to keep balance, the keyboard on my back much more obvious. Passing nurses and patients gave us funny looks, but all that mattered to me at the moment was how to keep balance on _medium-platform sandals._

"Rin-chan…"

She laughed again. "That explains everything, don't you think?"

I couldn't help but glower at her, resulting in even more laughter.

* * *

"Tomoko-chan— _pffft_ —are you _still_ angry about that? I was just proving a point!"

 **Apparently, grudges are strong with this one,** Hisako muttered, doing her best impression of Yoda. **Proceed with caution, we must.**

Wait. If she was Yoda, then was I—

**Don't turn to the Dark Side, my dear! Even if they have cookies!**

_Figures_ Hisako would liken me to Anakin.

And scratch my previous comment. Hisako wasn't a sadist. She was just a really huge, teasing _troll._

All I was doing was _pouting_ …

And last I checked, Anakin was _not_ tempted by cookies.

I just crossed my arms at them both while continuing to point my gaze elsewhere. Why couldn't this walk to Training Ground Three be any faster? " _Muu_ , I want to see _you_ carry a picnic basket and keyboard while jumping on one foot, go ahead."

Rin-chan continued to laugh. "I don't think it's _that_ bad, Tomoko-chan…"

" _Mu_ ," I pouted again, and that was that. It had taken another hour for Rin to finish rounds around the hospital, and it felt like we could've finished sooner if not for some patients stopping us and motioning to the keyboard on my back. Apparently, the keyboard and my hair ribbon were starting to become call-outs for the hospital performer I was quickly becoming, with some elderly specifically calling me, "the nice pianist girl."

Even with the simplicity of the name, it was hard to wipe that smile off my face for weeks.

And well…

" _How dare you!"_ was quickly becoming a shout that I had to get used to hearing when exiting the hospital and walking through the streets of Konoha.

Rin stopped mid-laugh as soon as the sound registered in her ears. Her face turned white.

_Oh dear._

It took Hisako holding back my emotional reins for me not to flinch, and even then, I forced myself not to look behind me as the sound of a crowd gathering quickly became obvious.

From the lingering echoes of the shrill voice, I knew who it was.

"…Hitoshi Natsumi-san," I said as calmly as I could, using a deep breath like Miyako-bachan taught me to keep my heart steady. "What can I do for you?"

"What can you do…" the voice quieted in volume, only for the resulting silence to tune in the tension. Then, I found myself flinching. "What can you _do?!_ " The last word came out almost like an otherworldly shriek.

"Tomoko-chan," Rin whispered quietly, already turning her head to get a glimpse of the situation we were now in. "You…you know this woman?"

I tried not to sigh. "Drunk Guy Incident," was all I could give in the situation, and Rin immediately closed her mouth, eyes wide.

 **Sheesh, even when the guy's gone, his shadow never leaves, huh?** Hisako deadpanned.

"Hitoshi-san—"

"How dare you ask me that! How dare you _call me like that!_ " The voice was loud, pained, and almost teary from the noise alone. "You took away my life! You took away my _husband_!" Even without looking over my shoulder, I knew Hitoshi-san was pointing a shaky, angry finger at me. "You enabled a _traitor_ to live! You sheltered a traitor, and _became_ a traitor! What more in all _fucks_ can you do?! You doomed this village enough as is!"

"Yeah!" Another, more unfamiliar voice echoed. "Go back to that junkyard of a cafe where you came from!"

Hisako shook her head. **At least choose** _ **one**_ **topic to harp on, the Drunk Guy Incident or Sakumo. You can't do both. Go ahead. I'm waiting on who gets to call out, 'Bingo.'**

Silence reigned as Hitoshi Natsumi-san continued to breathe, the other voice quieting down. Faint whispers followed, but even if I couldn't make out the exact words, the intent was clear.

"How…how dare you…" Hitoshi-san hissed. "Not even looking in my direction, huh?"

_How dare I, indeed._

I forced myself to stay still, just as Rin-chan started to bristle.

"Hey! Don't call Tomoko-chan like—" I raised a hand to stop the medic before she could finish her sentence. She gasped, a soft yet audible sound, before the feeling of a shocked stare bore into my head, a small relief from the surrounding anger. "T-Tomoko-chan—"

"Rin-chan, please," I said softly, shaking my head. "You're making this worse."

 _Holy crap, how am I staying so calm, howamIstayingsocalm_ —

Hisako immediately grabbed the end of that thought and proceeded to bunch it up into her best impression of a paper ball, tossing it into a nearby black hole. **Go ahead, Tomoko-chan.**

Well, that explained it.

I glanced back at Rin, and she closed her mouth again, only with more hesitation in her eyes. I took that as a sign to lower my hand.

" _Well?!_ " Hitoshi-san screamed again from behind Rin's shoulder. I hid another flinch. "What do you have to say for yourself!?"

Hisako smiled softly. **Do it.**

I took a breath before shouldering my keyboard again, turning my head back to face forward. "I'm sorry for the loss of your husband, Hitoshi-san. And I know what I say right now won't make it better, or even give a semblance of closure to what happened."

A sharp intake of breath.

"But let me ask you this." Once, only once, I allowed myself to turn around and look back at the woman, making eye contact with angry brown eyes. It took all I had to keep my composure and not burst into tears, because I never thought I could see so much anger and hate directed at me in both of my lives. But I said it. "What defines a "traitor"?"

Those same brown eyes, the same ones that were narrowed at me in pure anguish, widened.

"A traitor," I repeated. "Is it someone who outright betrays _you_? Or is it the person who was trying to defy _your_ unreasonable expectations of them?"

I could see the white in those brown eyes now.

"Maybe, Hitoshi-san, if you can find the answer to that, I can answer my own question." I bowed my head, turning away to walk forward. The crowd immediately stirred, the atmosphere turning almost lukewarm as Rin's familiar presence trailed nearby. "Because we all got hurt. What matters in the end is what we end up doing with it."

"Y-You—" The shrill voice started up again, weaker this time. "How dare you—"

"After all," I spoke again. "How can anyone move forward if we just keep holding onto the past?"

And with that said, I forced myself to walk away, through the frozen crowd that didn't let up in their staring, and out into the quiet street again.

 **Tomoko-chan…** Despite the air of pride, Hisako sounded worried again. **Tomoko-chan, that was…**

_Hisako._

My other self paused. **What?**

I held back a sigh while tugging at the strap holding the keyboard to my back. _I'm a bit of a hypocrite, aren't I?_

The memory of a familiar smirk ran through my head. " _Vy-chan."_

**…**

"—moko-chan, Tomoko-chan!" A hand suddenly tugged on my free one as soon as the noise faded behind me, and I found myself getting pulled.

A shaky exhale left my mouth as it suddenly came to me that my legs were _shaking_. I returned the tight grip on my hand. "R-Rin-chan?"

Purple striped tattoos were all that registered in my line of sight at first, and it took a few seconds before the image solidified as my medic friend's worried face. "Tomoko-chan, that was—no, wrong thing to say—" Rin shook her head vigorously before tugging at my hand again, her other hand that wasn't holding onto me instead reaching up to brush some hair away from my face, "—but Tomoko-chan, are you _okay?"_

Even if it was a question I had heard many times before, it didn't stop me from flinching. It felt like my tongue had tied itself up, with the largest rock of coal stuck in my throat. I know she meant it out of concern, so then why did hearing it make my heart _burn?_ "I…I…Rin-chan…"

 _Whywhywhy, why am I like this?! I should be used to this, used to_ —

" _Tomoko-chan_ ," Rin breathed before immediately pulling me into a hug. I didn't even notice the picnic basket falling from my limp arm as my knees finally gave out. "Oh, Tomoko-chan, it's going to be okay. We'll be heading over to see Team Minato, alright? Kei-senpai, Obito, and Kakashi-kun will all be there."

My legs continued to shake as the names went through my head. "K-Kei? Obito? K-Kakashi?" _What? Whatwhatwhatwhat?_ "Rin-chan, w-we'll—"

Rin pulled away from the hug to poke my cheek, a shaky smile on her face. "Yamaguchi-sensei said that I needed to go to Training Ground Three to meet my team for the Exams, didn't he?" She turned her gaze elsewhere, and I quickly found myself staring at the now empty picnic basket, Rin offering it with that same smile. "So, let's go see them."

* * *

Hisako couldn't help but pace.

Pace, pace, pace, kicking away the darkness beginning to form in the corners of the library, biting her lip all the same.

Darkness wasn't something she was unfamiliar with, but that did not mean she had to like it. Nobody status or not.

 **"Shit,"** she cursed softly, already noting how some of the books nearby were starting to turn dark too. **"Not good."**

She materialized a vacuum. **"Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, you can do this…"** Hisako sucked up the first dark book, proceeding a lavender color copy in its place. **"You can do this…You're almost there…"**

Sometimes, the Nobody wondered whether she was comforting her Somebody or herself.

 **"Tomoko-chan…"** Hisako held back a growl as more and more books started to darken, going on to clog the ongoing vacuum hose. " **C'mon…"**

And then the darkness stopped forming. The Nobody blinked, hands limply holding the vacuum as other books proceeded to float around her.

**"What the hell…?"**

Hisako's question was quickly answered as soon as the darkness faded for a small layer of water to start forming at her feet, the contaminated books melting into it. Even with her socks getting soaked through her sneakers, Hisako didn't have the heart to complain.

Instead, the Nobody smiled.

**"There, there, Tomoko-chan…"**

* * *

Only a few moments before, Kei was worried. Not quite on the level of "Tomo-chan-worried", but still worried.

To sum it up: the Chunin Exams were going to _suck._ Team Minato had only been together for five months, her chakra control was still shitty as all hell, and Obito had failed almost every single shuriken and kunai throwing test, not to mention the last incident taking _two months_ to pass over already, with field-missions being few…

_They weren't ready._

Miyako and Wataru knew this, Judai-jichan and Hikari-bachan knew this, hell, maybe even Sakumo-jichan knew this too.

So then why did _Minato-sensei_ think they were ready?

Not even Obito's overly happy demeanor could put a dent in the worrying.

Then again, Kei was also not ready to see Rin walk into Training Ground Three, supporting what appeared to be a droopy Tomoko by tugging on her hand.

"Kei-senpai! Obito! We're going to be taking the Chunin Exams together!"

Kakashi opened one eye from his position of leaning against a nearby tree in the shade to observe, only for his lightning chakra to crackle.

And normally, hearing a statement like that would make Kei not so worried anymore. Especially when the new third teammate would end up being a good friend.

But when said friend was supporting another friend that looked caught between playing dead and sulking, it didn't provide the best of scenes. More so when Kakashi's chakra was adding onto the bad feeling.

Kei tried to smile, only to walk over to Rin's side and take in the situation.

Rin's smile dropped for a worried frown. "Some villagers ganged up on us on the way here," she mouthed, before tugging at the civilian's hand once. "Tomoko-chan, Kei-senpai's here."

Tomoko blinked, almost blearily, before raising her head and Kei tried not to lurch back.

Her blue eyes were lacking any light in them. Even with the bangs shading her face, it was a clear echo of what had happened a few months ago.

Kei buried any semblance of rage into the back of her mind to focus.

Tomoko's chakra shivered before she audibly gulped. "H-Hi, Kei." Her voice shook.

 **Uh oh,** said the Dreamer.

The girl bit her lip as the light returned to her eyes with full force, tears already bubbling. "C-Could I hug you? Please?"

Kei was already opening her arms. "Go ahead."

" _Auuu_ ," was the proceeding mumble, and then Tomoko nearly ran into the gesture. Kei held back a wince, taking in the civilian's shaking shoulders before wetness started to dot her jacket. " _Hic_ …K-Kei-chan, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, Tomo-chan, it's okay." Kei ran her fingers through the civilian's hair, only to blink at the keyboard hanging over her friend's shoulder. "But what's with the keyboard?"

Chakra flickered as the distraction seemed to have set in. "P-Performing a-at the hospital," Tomoko hiccupped, a hand reaching up to wipe at her eyes. "I-It was on the way here that…that things didn't turn out great." She sniffled before slowly pulling away, eyes already red-rimmed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Tomo-chan." Kei poked her forehead. "Things happen. Do you want to talk about it?"

Behind the civilian's shoulder, Rin was smiling in approval as the telltale signs of Kakashi and Obito's chakras flickered in concern.

Tomoko sniffled again before reaching into her skirt pocket and grabbing a tissue, wiping her face with it. "Y-You're not busy? I mean, don't you guys have the Chunin Exams to train for?" She ducked her head almost shamefully. "My problem just seems kinda ridiculous in comparison…"

… _Okay, no._

"We can start today or tomorrow, Tomo-chan, there's no rush," Kei shrugged before putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "And your problem is not ridiculous. If it's making you cry, it's real and worth talking about."

Tomoko's head shot up, eyes wide, before more tears started to show up. "O-Oh," she said simply, before nodding. "Okay…okay…" she sniffled. "Thank you…"

Kei smiled before wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders in a side-hug. "C'mon, let's go sit down in the shade or something."

* * *

Talking never felt so tense in a while. Hell, it took everything I had, including Hisako's own efforts to clean up everything in the mental library (which apparently started becoming a hectic mess with the vacuum), to get it all out. By the time I had finished, the reactions were as good as they could be.

Obito was gaping, Kei was clearly fuming, and Kakashi was sulking—at least, it looked like it from my vantage point. Rin was the only one who didn't react, having witnessed it all firsthand, and I couldn't help but feel grateful considering I would only have to go through this explanation once without any need for further elaboration.

It was Obito that ended up saying something first. "What the _fuck._ "

"That's my line," Kei said, the grip around my shoulders tightening. "It's been two months and yet they're _still_ harping on that bullshit."

"Language, Kei-senpai, Obito." But unsurprisingly, even the scolding sounded half-hearted, with Rin-chan's brown eyes flaring with her own rage. "Even if the village is at war, that doesn't give people an excuse to say things like that."

Kakashi only sighed. "So," he drawled. "What are we going to do?"

I hugged my knees to myself while glancing over the keyboard that we all decided to put on the ground because weight. "…Beating them up is definitely out of the question."

 **Even if it's** _ **extremely**_ **tempting!** Hisako offered loudly. **Just let me get a hammer or a Keyblade. Then we'll see who's the bad guy.**

_Hisako. That's too much._

**Hmph.** My other self pursued her lip and crossed her arms, not that happy. **If only I could get the Joker laugh, then** _ **maybe**_ **it would be a little more convincing…**

 _Oookay,_ I'm not touching that with a meter-long stick.

"That one was kinda obvious, Tomo-chan," Kei said dryly. " _But_ , I can think of a distraction."

I sighed, ignoring Hisako's _other_ ideas in my head. For the sake of my sanity, they'll be _[Redacted]_. "What?"

The last thing I was expecting were hands wiggling under my sides. "WAAH!" I ended up jumping up before running away from the clearing for a few seconds, turning back once there was a sizeable amount of distance. "D-Did you just _tickle_ me?!"

Kei just grinned, teasingly wiggling her fingers in my direction. "Did the job of distracting you, didn't it?"

I pouted before slowly walking back over to the group, attempting to ignore Rin and Obito's mischievous smiles. " _Muu_ , you guys suck."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me.

**Tomoko-chan.**

_Whoops._ "Not all the time," I amended. "And there are exceptions."

Kakashi huffed, but closed his eyes and left it at that.

Kei was the next one to raise an eyebrow at me, but instead of staying silent, she sighed before reaching over to wrap an arm around my shoulders. Next thing I knew, I was being pulled until my head gently landed against Kei's shoulder, again in a side-hug. "Still, you're not alone in this, Tomo-chan." Her cheek landed on my hair. "We've got your back."

The words didn't register at first. "…Eh?" I said dully.

"Yeah, Tomoko-chan!" Obito's yell soon ran through all of Training Ground Three, and I found myself jumping. "We're all Genin now! Official ninja! We can protect you from all the bad guys! Kei, Rin-chan, Bakashi, and me! We all can back you up!"

 **Oh my.** Hisako was smiling.

Even without looking around, I knew Rin was giggling. "Right. Just like I did earlier, Tomoko-chan."

Kakashi 'hn'-ned in what I think was his best Sasuke impression, but nodded nonetheless. "Excusing the Uchiha fool's language, he's right. It's no longer your problem anymore, Tomoko."

"That's right— _hey,_ what do you mean by 'Uchiha fool,' Bakashi?!"

The Chunin opened one eye in exasperation. "An fool's an fool. Even if he's going into the Chunin Exams, there's no guarantee of passing with the way you are."

"What'd you just say?!"

"Kakashi-kun, Obito, calm down! This isn't the time to argue!" Rin interrupted, just as Kei sighed.

When did I get surrounded by the greatest friends I could ever have?

_I may have lost Josh and Leo, but that doesn't mean I haven't found new friends to fill the void._

**Definitely right, Tomoko-chan.**

I found myself getting teary again, but wiped that waterfall away before it could start, laughing loud enough to where the boys stopped arguing. "Th-thank you, guys. Thank you."

Even with the loose grip on my shoulders, Kei didn't hesitate in reciprocating the hug when I wound my arms around her waist, the smile already filling her voice. "You're welcome, Tomo-chan."

"Heheh," I giggled, taking in the familiar scent of mochi. "You're snuggly, Kei."

"Tell me something I don't know," Kei shot back, but the mirth in her voice was obvious.

"I want to play a song for everybody, but I don't know what you would like to hear?" I answered while pulling away, taking the question literally.

"Dango Daikazoku?" Obito offered.

"Passion?" Kakashi added.

"Something to combat this morning?" Rin lampshaded.

 **Oh boy.** Hisako said. **What to do…**

I tried not to twitch and instead glanced in Kei's direction. She glanced back at me, only to shrug. "Whatever you feel like playing?" she added helpfully.

I sighed. Two definite choices, and two rather vague ones. What to choose from.

If I didn't know any better, my keyboard looked like it was sweating with how the surrounding dew from the grass brushed it.

"I have an idea!" Obito jumped up from his sitting position, and I turned my head only to see him bend over and pick up…a stone?

Kakashi blinked while uncrossing his arms. "Obito, what are you doing?"

"Heheh," Obito smirked. "Just watch!"

With everyone, myself included, watching, Obito raised the hand holding the stone, took a few step backs, and then threw it. Hard.

The little rock proceeded to skip across the river in one jump before sinking in a very disappointing PLOP, leaving large ripples in its wake.

"Uh," said Rin. "That was pretty cool, Obito!"

 **Well,** Hisako said finally. **That was some skill. He made it jump** _ **once**_ **.**

_Hisako._

**Hey, it's just the truth. At least I'm not trying to hide it.**

"That was pointless," Kakashi said flatly, and at this point, I was wondering how I ended up with so many snarkers as friends. Kei, Kakashi, Hisako, and possibly Obito. That was two more than how it was for Vy.

Kei had face palmed, just as Obito started to steam. "Hey! It jumped _once_! That's something! I just…wasn't at my best, that's all!"

"Really?" Kakashi only raised an eyebrow before standing straight up, already holding onto a rock of his own before tossing it.

PLOP, PLOP, PLOP, the rock went, jumping _five_ times in a neat line across the river surface before sinking in a more graceful fashion.

"…That was amazing, Kakashi-kun!" Rin proceeded to gush happily, pink dusting her cheeks.

Kakashi shrugged, but the slight upward jut of his chin said otherwise.

I glanced at Kei, only for her to look at me and shrug. _Ooookay_. Guys are competing…or something. With simple rock-skipping.

Even in another life, I had yet to fully understand what went on in a boy's head.

Maybe it's because the guys I got to know back as Vy were mostly lovable dorks and not _ninja_ …Oh well.

Without even thinking, I reached around in the grass for a stone of my own, standing up.

Kei, who was still sitting down, blinked at me. I didn't have to be a sensor to know she was somewhat confused. "Tomo-chan?"

Obito and Kakashi, who looked like they were about to start yet another argument, stopped to look at me. "Tomoko?"

 **Hmmmm.** Hisako grinned. **Well then…**

I raised my left hand up for silence, before taking a step back and throwing the stone as hard as I could.

It soared…and soared…and—

RUSTLE, RUSTLE.

It didn't even hit the _water_ _ **.**_

A few seconds later, a bird flew out of the disgruntled tree with a powerful flap of its wings, turning its head in our direction with what I could only assume as the evil eye.

"Whoa," said Rin.

"…Uh, I didn't mean to do that?" I said finally.

"Tomo-chan…" Kei groaned while face palming. "You accidentally infused _chakra_ into that throw, didn't you?"

"Um," I said, then glanced at my right hand. And, sure enough, judging by the rush of warmth to my hand that I was sure wasn't blood…Oh dear. Heat rushed to my face. "I'm sorry, bird-san!" I proceeded to yell into the sky.

Hisako proceeded to cackle.

"Uh, Tomoko-chan, that bird is already long gone…" Obito trailed off, immediately sitting up at edge once I turned to look at him. Was my expression that freaky right now? "But it was still a really good throw!"

 _What?_ I motioned with my hands while trying not to panic. "Obito, you got your rock to _skip_! Mine just… _soared_. And possibly ruined a good bird's home." My voice was already rising in pitch as I found myself pacing, holding back the urge to just yell into the sky. "Me 0, Environment 1. _Agh_!"

 **Tomoko-chan, don't you** _ **dare**_ **smack your forehead into a nearby tree. Please.**

_It's tempting…_

**Tomoko-chan, it was just one bird. Don't worry, okay?**

_Ugh._

Kakashi shook his head while walking over, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're getting better at controlling it at least," he said dryly. "It could've gone farther if you put everything into that throw."

Uh, _eh_? "Is that supposed to be…" I trailed off before turning around to look at him, but by then, Kakashi was staring in another direction, apparently doing the silent treatment all over again.

_Oooookay._

Obito grinned at me nonetheless.

"Pft." Unintentionally, I found myself giggling. It was a small laugh at first, but as time went on, I found myself laughing so hard, my stomach felt like it was going to break at any moment, to where I knew everyone was staring at me with funny faces.

"Tomoko-chan?" Rin started hesitantly.

Once all that was out of my system, I ended up jumping on the medic for a hug first. " _Oh_ , you guys are all the greatest friends and ninja I could ever have!"

Rin turned a bright red. "E-Eh?!"

"Really, Tomoko-chan?" Obito's voice again, and while still hanging onto Rin, I turned in his direction only to catch a wide and shaky white smile. "You really think we're the greatest?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The question honestly confused me, and my voice seemed to convey that if the higher pitch was anything to go by. "You, Kei, and Rin-chan originally made up 'Team Awesomeness', and Kakashi's in a league of his own—" A cough suspiciously followed that statement, "—So why wouldn't you be great? You all are amazing to me!"

Kei turned her head away, clearly hiding an embarrassed grin. On the other hand, sparkles seemed to float around Obito's figure as Rin finally started relaxing in the hug to wind her arms around my waist. Kakashi said nothing, as always, but the relaxed look of his shoulders said enough.

I kept a few words to myself while going on to hug everyone else in succession.

_I love you all so much. Thank you._

I just hoped that the gesture was enough to say it.

* * *

Training the next day was something borne from of a few ideas.

Kei hadn't _just_ spent the past few days worrying.

Which resulted in Team Minato deciding to meet up at Training Ground Three to work on those ideas, because with Minato himself occupied with the Chinatsugumi, they had time to kill.

The most Kei was expecting was Obito, Rin, Kakashi, and Tomoko all sitting around relaxing one way or another. And, well, it partially came true. Obito and Rin were sitting by the river, skipping rocks.

But Kei was not expecting Kakashi and Tomoko to stroll in about _ten minutes_ after the scheduled meeting time, with the civilian girl lugging what looked like the _largest_ duffle bag in existence.

"YOU'RE LA—" Obito cut himself off as soon as he turned around to take in the scene. "Uh, what?"

Rin blinked before turning around too, her eyes widening almost immediately. "Tomoko-chan?!"

_Wha?_

**…What in all hell is** _ **that?**_ The Dreamer said incredulously.

"I had no part in this," Kakashi deadpanned. "Blame her for our being late."

Tomoko simply waved obliviously while walking closer to the group, Kakashi trailing behind her as the obvious elephant in the area continued to keep everyone's attention. If not for the sheer size of the thing, Kei would've taken it to be a normal black duffle bag, with the strap going across Tomoko's right shoulder and crossing her chest. But judging by the jutting corners of the black fabric, the height of the duffle bag easily towering over Tomoko's head by a few centimeters, how the strap was _clearly_ digging into Tomoko's shoulder, _and_ the shaky way the girl was conducting herself in just _walking_ , the worry wasn't helping.

"Oh, boy," Kei said simply.

_What the heck is she even carrying in that thing?_

"Hi, Kei!" Tomoko smiled cheerfully, not even fazed by the obvious weight on her back. And judging by the hoarse gasps behind her, Kei knew Rin wasn't all that happy with the sight. "I'm ready for anything! You guys can train as hard as you want!"

**I highly doubt that. Why did we invite her again?**

_She worries too much?_

The Dreamer went quiet at that.

Kei just glanced at Kakashi. The Chunin sighed, and judging by his crackling chakra, was holding back the urge to face-palm. "Judai-jichan tried to convince her otherwise, but she said we needed all this stuff."

Tomoko proceeded to puff out her cheeks at the comment, finally reaching the group as she put her hands on her hips. "Because the Exams are dangerous, and when you guys are training, I want to be able to help! I wouldn't be able to do so otherwise, especially when you're taking them!"

Obito's jaw proceeded to land in the grass.

_Why are you looking so proud while holding_ _**that** _ _?_

"Tomoko-chan." Rin sounded surprisingly calm, and Kei turned only to lurch back at the aura emitting from the medic. "How much are you carrying in there?"

Instead of waiting for an answer, Kakashi proceeded to lightly push at Tomoko's free shoulder.

"WAAAAH!" The girl yelped despairingly before the weight finally pulled her over, and gravity proceeded to kick in. With a few moments, the bag was slightly buried in the grass as Tomoko was left lying on top of it, her arms and legs left dangling in the air. The overall image reminded Kei of an upturned turtle. "Uhhhh." She wiggled said limbs, only to blink. "Uh-oh." She waved her hands again. "Oh no."

"T-Tomoko-chan!" Obito had finally gotten his jaw working again, jumping up from the grass to immediately run over, Rin on his heels. "You okay?" Being the helper he was, Obito was already wrapping an arm around the civilian's shoulders to let her sit up. Rin went on to take the strap off of Tomoko's shoulder, frowning at it.

Kei wasn't sure whether to stare or help out. She went with the second option, because the growing worry in her head was ridiculous.

"Ahaha, thanks, Obito…" Tomoko scratched the back of her head, looking up at Kei with a shaky smile. "Sorry about that."

"What _is_ in that bag, Tomo-chan?" Kei glanced at the offending object in question, only to watch as Rin grabbed the zipper to pull it down.

"Uh, wait a minute…"

A myriad of items proceeded to spill out of the new opening as Rin scrambled to step away from the mess. Once everything had settled, Kei scanned over the items in question as Obito used his pointer finger to count them off by name.

"Keyboard, batteries— _why are there batteries_ —bandages, a big blanket, five towels, a bag of cotton balls, a—" Obito paused, reaching over to grab the second biggest item in the pile, being a large cube-shaped purple bundle. He frowned at it. "—A _bento_?"

_Wha?_

Rin's worry was starting to grow in waves, judging by the shakiness of her chakra.

"Not to mention the hairbrush, store set of hair-bands, basic medicine bag of disinfectant and cleaning solution, a box of plastic utensils and chopsticks, plates, _and_ napkins." Kakashi finished dryly.

_What the heck._

Tomoko laughed again, scratching her cheek now. " _Heheh_ , at least I got some exercise out of it! And with the hairbrush, I can handle any bad hair days!"

Obito's eyebrow was twitching now. "Is the hairbrush _really_ necessary, Tomoko-chan?"

As a response, the civilian pointed in Kei's direction. Kei only raised her hands in surrender. "I've seen Miyako-bachan struggle with that head enough times to _know_ hair can be a pain. So, yes, the hairbrush _is_ necessary." Tomoko proceeded to stare at Obito for a few minutes, apparently hard enough for the Uchiha to fidget.

"O-Okay, okay, I get the point!" Obito conceded.

"That's why I keep it short," Kei muttered, absently twirling a long strand around her finger.

A short pause followed.

" _Tomoko-chan_!" Kei tried not to wince as Rin finally seemed to go into full-time Medic mode, the previous moment officially over. "You shouldn't have hurt your back while carrying all that! Your posture was horrendous!"

The civilian immediately shrunk back as the smile became shakier. "But I thought it would be good strength training!"

"Only _after_ you make sure it was properly balanced!" Rin clicked her tongue before holding onto Tomoko's shoulders, her hands glowing a familiar blue of the Diagnostic Jutsu. " _Please_ tell me you didn't plan on bringing anything else."

Tomoko opened her mouth, paused, then closed it. "Um, a change of clothes for everybody?" she said finally.

Kei allowed herself to facepalm. " _Tomo-chan,_ there are _limits_."

The civilian pouted. "But I thought I could do it! I made it all the way here anyways!"

"That is, if Judai-jichan didn't let us go without having me _swear_ that I would catch you if you fell," Kakashi intoned in the same dry voice. "Look at how well that worked."

Yep. Even with Sakumo alive, Kakashi _still_ was a predictable dick. A _nicer_ dick, but a dick.

"At least I fell on the grass!" Tomoko's voice was getting squeaky now. "And besides, my back's okay!"

Rin proceeded to squeeze Tomoko's shoulders while in the middle of healing, only to get a corresponding yelp.

Kei dragged her hand across her face. " _Tomo-chan._ Just—just be more careful, please?"

Another pause. Tomoko sighed before nodding, ducking her head. "I-I'm sorry."

Kei shrugged before opening her arms. "Hug for good luck then? In case if we don't see you the day of the Exams?"

The air seemed to brighten significantly as Tomoko's chakra jumped in a clear sign of happiness. The warmth was all Kei could get before a force barreled into her chest as always. " _Oof_ ," she said reflexively, wrapping her arms around the civilian's back as a huffing laugh rumbled in Kei's shoulders.

"1 for hugs, 0 for clumsiness," was the resounding mutter in Kei's jacket. "Snuggly~!" Without looking, Kei knew that Tomoko was smiling. "Heheh."

Kei snorted before tightening the hug with a warm squeeze.

Nearby, Rin was shaking her head in mock disapproval, a small smile on her face. "Tomoko-chan, where's my hug? I just healed you."

"And I helped clean things up!" Obito piped up, the mess from early now stuffed back into the bag where it came from. The jutting edges of the bag weren't as obvious, but the volume was a definite scene to see.

The civilian girl tensed before pulling away, sheepish. "Uhhhh…" Tomoko looked up at Kakashi.

The Chunin only regarded Tomoko with one eye before turning his head to the side, crossing his arms. "Only one," he said begrudgingly.

_Hah! She actually did it! He_ _**didn't** _ _glare!_

Tomoko positively _beamed_ before jumping.

"Tomoko, _wait_ —" Kei had to hold back laughter as soon as Kakashi hit the ground with a loud groan.

"We _really_ need to establish a hug limit," he muttered. _Despite_ the rather damning evidence of an arm thrown over the girl's back as Tomoko laughed loudly.

The Dreamer smiled. **Some things never change.**

* * *

It turned out that actually _training_ helped the field quiet down.

Kei's idea was simple. With Kakashi off the roster, flexibility and practice were key in at least trying to survive these Exams. Sure, having them being Konoha-only helped _marginally_ , as Miyako said, but only by so much. And with Obito being the only one who knew long-ranged combat jutsu, Kei being the best close-combat specialist after Kakashi, and Rin having only utility jutsu to offer despite better reflexes, practice was everything.

Hence, projectile dodging. With Grand Fireballs courtesy of Obito. While water walking on the river.

Kei was _slightly_ regretful of inviting Tomoko now, only because the worried stare trained in the team's direction was starting to hurt.

Still, the art of dodging fireballs was something. It was better than dodging rocks, and the art overall was helpful. Rin had to stay out of line of attack entirely considering her arsenal, and getting used to Obito's timing was useful when it came to future team attacks.

And the session went smoothly the first few hours. The worried stare in their direction had subsided by the first 30 minutes (Kei would probably have to thank Kakashi later for that, weirdly enough), and once a rhythm was in place, all that mattered was maintaining the chakra needed to stay afloat (which was simple enough considering medic-training) and dodging the heat.

The team only had to stop once Kei dodged a little too late and properly got the ends of her small ponytail singed. Without thinking, she immediately cut the chakra to her feet, resulting in an unceremonious dunk in the river, but at least the fire was out.

"Tell me you aren't _seriously_ planning to use that in a fight," Kakashi muttered while standing at the shore. Kei emerged from the water, shaking her head.

"It's a work in progress," was the reply as she took off her bandanna to wrangle out any water before thumbing through her hair. Judging by the coarse feeling of the ends and the burnt smell, it wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either.

_Guess I was due for a haircut_ _**sometime.** _

Kei took off her jacket, T-shirt, and other gear to start drying off, left in pants, undershirt, and aesthetic bandages.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Don't blame me for what happens next."

"What's that—"

" _KEI-CHAN!"_

Kei winced, her hand already freezing before reaching for her kunai pouch. She'd know that high-pitched voice anywhere. But…

 **This is the first time she sounds** _ **angry**_ **,** voiced the Dreamer curiously.

A few seconds was all it took for Tomoko to run over, worry and what looked like anger burning in her blue eyes. The hairbrush was indeed in her right hand, towel in her other, and she was frowning. "Can I see that."

_She didn't even stammer or ask it as a question._

"Go ahead," Kei said dully.

**What, am I** _**not** _ **supposed to keep you from panicking unnecessarily? Sheesh, that's gratitude for you.**

_I'll be fine now. The shock's over and the most we'll get is probably a case of sunburn considering how close it was._

Tomoko was eerily silent while sitting on her knees, surveying the damage. A moment was all it took before hands landed in Kei's hair, and she sat still for Tomoko to start fretting as always. Instead, a huff of breath was all that followed before the bristles of the hairbrush started running through her hair, almost too soft to really give off any indication that the civilian was angry.

"Kei, are you okay?!" Obito proceeded to shout, running over with Rin on his heels yet again. Rin had already started up the Mystical Palm Jutsu for healing, but stopped as soon as she took in the situation.

Kei shrugged. "Yeah…" she trailed off.

 _Brush, brush._ A few singed pieces of hair fell down into the grass as the bristles continued to run across Kei's head. If not for the tense air, it would've been a situation that Kei could enjoy the gesture. Even when encountering a tangle, Tomoko didn't tug on it, instead restarting the stroke to lightly tease the strand into complying.

Was hair-brushing ever so relaxing?

"Tomoko-chan?" Rin said softly.

"Just a minute, Rin-chan." Tomoko inhaled deeply before exhaling in a solemn gesture, voice quiet. "Let me finish the clean-up here and then you can heal, okay?"

The medic's hands stopped glowing as a response, Rin taking a step back. Obito quickly followed to do the same.

Kakashi merely crossed his arms again and leaned back against a nearby tree, closing his eyes.

Kei blinked, slowly sitting up. "Tomo-chan?"

A sigh. "And _you_ were the one who said, ' _there are limits_...'" The hairbrush paused before a hand lightly touched the top of Kei's head. "You worry me too, y'know."

The admission was soft, but the way Tomoko's chakra shivered said enough.

"Sorry," Kei said quietly.

A soft puff of air, and then the last bits of charred hair fell before arms encircled Kei's neck, a warm chest pressing against her shoulders. "It's okay. Just be more careful, please?"

' _I want to see you again.'_ The chakra seemed to add.

Kei held back a sigh. "I'll do my best."

That was the most she could guarantee.

Meanwhile, Kei pointedly ignored the small flash accompanied by the faint swirls of amused chakra in the distance.

Minato-sensei could tease everyone later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: … '\\_(-A-)_/'
> 
> Things happen, and this was delayed. Not to mention, a lot of things to cover in one chapter, once again. Nonetheless, thanks to all who reviewed Chapter 15, and supported The Sea and Stars on Tumblr. It was good motivation to finish this for real.
> 
> And of course, Lang, you are the greatest. Thanks again.
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to handle school and write the next chapter.


	17. Setting Off with Concern

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is actually a recommendation from a good friend, Abalisk, being Eyes on Me from Final Fantasy 8's Piano Collections. I was initially unsure on what song to use, and coincidentally, Abalisk stopped by with the YouTube link on my Tumblr, and it stuck. Tomoko will definitely be playing this during the chapter. :)
> 
> Also, for the song that our pianist plays at the end, I have to give my thanks to HypochondriacPiano yet again, this time for their medley of the Pallet Town and Pokémon Lab themes on YouTube. Please go ahead and check them out through the S&S OST playlist on YouTube if you haven't done so already.
> 
> Anyways, enough rambling from me. Please enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 17: Setting Off with Concern_

Hisako summed up my thoughts pretty well on the whole situation by the time I came home to Nagareboshi that night, duffle bag now in Kakashi's hands. **This is going to suck** _ **balls**_ **, Tomoko-chan** _ **.**_

 _Well_ , I wouldn't use that wording, but considering the Chunin Exams and how people were likely to _die_ in there? It worked. Not helped by how a lot of different fanfics from Vy's time showed that more than just red-shirt ninja could die, or keel over in nicer words, even in Konoha-only exams.

 _And_ I still had yet to get into how to explain things to Mama and Papa about what happened with Natsumi-san… They didn't question it when I came home that night, but they didn't fully drop the subject either.

"Quit worrying," Kakashi said, and I tried not to jump at the sound of his voice. "I don't think I can handle Judai-jichan having _another_ heart attack over you pushing yourself again."

I blinked at him before sighing, hanging my head. "Alright, I'm trying…"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at me, but it didn't seem to be in any bad taste when compared to the earlier days. "Try harder." Even with the tough words, the undertone of feeling in them wasn't hard to miss.

Even if Hisako was still angry at the Chunin Exams—or Minato-san, I'm not sure—she still had enough time to deflate and smile softly. **At least he's fine. We're lucky, Tomoko-chan.**

I couldn't agree more.

"Okay," I said, and I decided to take it in stride before lightly grabbing his hand to run home. Judging by the light sigh behind me, Kakashi was probably used to this by now, not even resisting my grip. Thank goodness.

At least the outlook for Team Minato so far was much better looking than canon. I could take that much. It was certainly a reminder to myself to learn how to make Kei's favorite red bean mochi, because it felt like I owed her something yet again.

With the Chunin Exams going on, I had time.

* * *

When Papa brought up the subject at the dinner table that night, he wasn't happy in the slightest. "What is this I'm hearing about _Chunin Exams_?"

Kakashi was still cool as a cucumber while eating a mouthful of rice, and with his mask down, I didn't know what to think. Sure, Vy had seen him unmasked, but a _kid_ Kakashi? I didn't know what to make of it. Or of the situation. "Minato-sensei put Obito and Kei in the Exams. With Rin-san too, Judai-jichan."

**You just** _**had** _ **to be blunt about it, didn't you, 'Kashi?**

Mama nearly choked on her miso soup as Sakumo-jichan eloquently dodged the subsequent food splatter. "Hikari," he muttered, chopsticks pointed at her in an almost scolding manner. "Calm down."

"I wish I _could_!" Mama retorted hotly, grabbing a napkin to wipe at her mouth mid-cough. I didn't know whether to comment or stay silent. "The kids are still _nine_ , Sakumo!"

_Uhhhhh._

What ended up leaving my mouth instead of the above thought ended up being worse. "A-Are the Chunin Exams _that_ bad?"

Hisako sighed. **Tomoko-chan.** _ **Why**_ **must you tempt fate.**

 _Shit._ That probably wasn't the best thing to ask.

Mama gave me a half-lidded stare before prodding Papa with her free elbow. "Do you want to take this, Judai?"

Papa whipped his head to stare at her incredulously. "Why me?"

"You're the former ninja," was the eloquent answer.

Papa took the time to sigh dramatically before turning to me. I tried not to flinch with the curious stare in my direction. "Tomoko-chan, what version would you like? Fried shrimp or natto?"

 **What.** Hisako said dully. **Is that his version of sugar-coating or something? Because that flew over my head.**

_Me too, Hisako. Me too._

"Uh, natto?" I decided without thinking. "Realistic version?"

It almost looked like Papa's eyebrow started to twitch. "Oh boy," he muttered, before promptly dropping his head to the table with a loud THUNK. I found myself jumping in place along with Mama, and it took a few extra seconds for Papa to raise his head. "Ugh."

"Judai, not you too," Sakumo-jichan deadpanned.

"P-Papa," I tried, reaching over to pat his head gently. "You don't have to explain if you don't want to. I could ask Minato-san—"

Papa immediately raised his head to look at me, my hand still resting on his hair and all, with serious, narrowed eyes. " _No_ ," he said flatly.

"Agreed," Mama added.

I just glanced at Kakashi from the side of my eye for help. He shrugged, a frown on his face. "Don't look at me," he said, before reaching over and grabbing a piece of eggplant.

Oh lord. "Okay," I decided, taking my hand back to scratch my cheek. "How worried should I be for Kei-chan and the others then?"

"Hope that they might not die?" Sakumo-jichan offered helpfully.

 **The fuck.** Hisako deadpanned.

I slammed my forehead into the table, taking a cue from Papa's previous table-head-slam. "Oh, _kami_ no!"

**I'm calling it now. Ninja will be the death of us, retired or not.**

_Hisako, I don't want to think about death right now, please._

My other self blinked before shaking her head in apology. **Sorry, dear.**

Without looking up, I knew that Mama was pointing an unimpressed stare in Sakumo-jichan's direction. " _Sakumo-kun_ ," she said, almost reprimanding by the sound of her voice. "Less blunt, more flowery."

"Hikari, it's kind hard to _be_ flowery when we're at war, y'know."

"You could be a bit more helpful!" Papa muttered into the wood.

Needless to say, I kinda lost the rest of my appetite after that. The idea of death did that pretty well.

The hand rubbing my back was a small yet nice condolence, at least.

* * *

**Tomoko-chan, calm down. You'll just be going with Kakashi and Minato to see the team, then come home, and then we'll do some meditation, okay? You can do this. Remember to breathe.**

Hisako's reassurances were nice and all, but it did not stop me from having the _strong_ temptation to grab Kakashi's hand and squeeze it for all its worth. But that seemed really childish and almost inappropriate, especially considering the stares directed at us from every street corner on the way to the administration building where the Chunin Exams would start, and Minato-san was—

Wait. Eh?

**Don't panic, Tomoko-chan. He's just staring your way.**

Uhhhhh.

**Just be you.**

I took in a breath, stopped my walking pace, and looked up, only to make eye-contact with concerned blue eyes. Minato-san simply inclined his head at me, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as his spiky yellow hair framed his face. The Konoha headband only shined in the sunlight with the new angle, and I found myself gulping. "Tomoko-chan? Will you be okay?"

"I'm trying~?" I squeaked out, already biting back a nervous curse at how my voice was cracking. "I-I'm just nervous and all, since we'll be seeing _all_ the prospective Chunin before the Exams _aside_ from Kei-chan and the others, and then there's—" I forced myself to breathe in deeply, much to the visible exasperation of Kakashi, who had stopped his own walk to look back at me. "—There's the whole fact that Kei, Obito, and Rin might get hurt, or might _die_ , and I—"

Hisako was gaping now, raising a duster of all things. **Tomoko-chan—**

Kakashi turned around with wide eyes. "Tomoko—"

Oh no. I was already rambling without a breath or so in-between. Were the Chunin Exams really riling me up _this_ much? "Ikindadon'twantthemtodie, becauseIlovethemalltoomuch, andwhatifsomethingdoeshappen, like, whatarewesupposedtodo?!"

"Tomoko—"

Minato-san seemed to be taking on more and more qualities of a fish by the second. I just found myself pacing back and forth, throwing my hands to and fro. Anxiety for the win! Woo! "Whatiftheydodie, howwilltheteamrecover, Imean, howwillIhandlethiswholething?! Idon'twanteveryonetodie! Isn'tthiswholethingwaytoodarnearly—"

" _Tomoko!_ " I shut up as soon as Kakashi walked over to raise a hand in front of my mouth. "Calm down. Rambling will get us nowhere."

A drop of sweat trailed down Minato-san's cheek as he rubbed the back of his head. "I wouldn't use those words, but still, Tomoko-chan." A hand landed on top of my hair, brushing a few stray strands away from my face. "Deep breaths now."

I inhaled as much air as I could, puffing my chest as a result.

**Go on…don't stress it…!**

"Let it out," Minato-san instructed.

I immediately puffed it all out in a long exhale, probably resembling a dying ship now before letting the adrenaline fade. "…I'm so sorry."

"Ahahaha…" Minato-san laughed sheepishly, just as Kakashi raised his head to stare in his direction, unimpressed. "Tomoko-chan, it's okay. Don't worry, alright? The least that will happen is broken bones or something."

Something in me proceeded to snap like a twig.

 **MINATO, YOU FREAKING ASS!** Hisako bellowed.

My jaw dropped, just in time for Kakashi to catch it and lift it back to close my mouth. "Don't talk," he said immediately, voice dry. "Just don't."

I mimed zipping up my lips before locking it and tossing the key.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, muttered something about, "Should've brought the keyboard," before reaching over and poking my head hard. _Ow._ In the light recoil, I found myself hitting Minato-san's chest with my head, only for a hand to pull on my forearm. What? "C'mon." The hand apparently grabbing my arm slid down so that it had a tight grip on my fingers, and I shook the stars out of my eyes to look up and find Kakashi raising an eyebrow at me. "I don't want to be late like last time."

**Okay, I'm not going to ship, I'm not going to ship, I'm not going to ship…!**

"Okay?" I said dully, only to be pulled along/dragged off by my ninja housemate.

Minato-san only barked down a laugh into his hand before walking up to our pace with a brighter smile.

I couldn't make out Hisako's words at this point because she proceeded to slam the door to her part of the library with a loud squeal.

Nobodies. Who knew they could be so expressive?

* * *

Getting into the exam hallway felt like I had been hit by a truck. Well, if that was an adequate way of putting it because my stomach lost its bottom once the familiar _crack_ of air sounded. Accompanied by a big cloud of smoke.

Once the white was out of my eyes, I opened them only to make eye-contact with—

"Tomo-chan?" Kei said incredulously.

It was as if nothing had changed. Aside from some more bulkier scrolls and ninja gear, it was my reincarnation buddy, flanked by Obito and Rin. If I didn't know any better, it looked like she was just voted the de-facto leader of the team.

 **Badass alert! Badass alert!** Hisako cheered. **And—** she cut herself off with a curse once my stomach started to ache. **Oh no. Tomoko-chan!**

 _We should've told Minato-san_ _ **not**_ _to teleport…!_ I couldn't help but mutter to her.

The horror was clearly dawning on Kei's face too as she took a step closer to me.

"K-Kei…" was all I could get before my stomach promptly _flipped._ I covered my mouth with a hand, trying to hold back the bile. Oh dear god, I _really_ should've reminded Minato-san _not to teleport._ The bile did not feel good in my mouth. "Uhhh, d-do you have a paper—"

To my surprise, Rin was already pulling one out from her many medical pouches, running over to push it towards me with a panicked look on her face. And thank god — it was big and _gigantic_ , the paper bag. I grabbed it, tried to hold back the feeling of _suck,_ before promptly uncovering my mouth, turning my head towards the bag opening, and making myself face the nearby window so that the retching wasn't as obnoxious.

" _Bleeeeeargh,_ " would be the best approximation one could make of the sounds that resulted.

Butterflies were probably _mating_ in my gut now. Ack.

 **Don't hold it in, Tomoko-chan, don't hold it in!** Hisako took on pom-poms as she patted my head mentally with a shaky smile. **Let it out so it can subside later!**

" _Uuuuuuuugh…"_ I didn't have to look up to know that everyone in the general vicinity was either looking away out of courtesy or disgust. Team Minato though, I had no clue. Someone's hand was rubbing my back, occasionally tugging at my hair so that it didn't get in the yucky splash-zone, so it _was_ nice amidst dealing with motion sickness.

The process of throwing up, thankfully, only took about two minutes at most because all I had consumed up until that point was water and a light breakfast. So, all that was left of my sickness once it subsided was gross saliva and a half full brown paper bag full of stuff that just smelled horrendous.

"Tomoko-chan, are you okay?" Rin's voice registered in my head first through the fading sick haze, so I tried to nod, raising my hand in a thumbs-up.

"T-trying," I said, taking a cue from a nearby cue-card Hisako just raised in our mind library. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Tomo-chan." A hand gently landed on my head, and I looked up only to catch Kei's lopsided smile. She ruffled my hair before letting her hand slide down to my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. I didn't miss how she glanced at the paper bag in my hands before shrugging and taking it off me to throw into the nearby trash can. "You can't help getting motion sick."

Rin raised a small water bottle in my direction as the last jolts of ' _Ugh_ ' went through my spine. Where did she get that? "Tomoko-chan, here you go." She put the water bottle into my shaky hands, closing my fingers over it in my place. "It's better to get some fluids back in your body after that, okay?"

When did I become the cared-for instead of the caretaker?

And did I just catch a glimpse of a younger Maito Gai and his team?

I wasn't sure because of the lingering, leftover feelings of ' _Bleh_ ' still in my systems and found myself concentrating on chugging the water bottle in my hands instead.

Behind me, I could hear Kakashi sigh. "On the other hand…" Once all the water was gone, I turned my head only to jolt at the sight of the normally stoic Chunin actually staring _holes_ into Minato-san's head. Did the Canon Kakashi ever actually do that…? "Minato-sensei?"

The Jounin whistled for a few seconds, turning his head to the side.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. " _Sensei._ "

"…"

With no answer, Kakashi crossed his arms, eyebrow raised questioningly. "Sensei, shouldn't you be saying something?"

Minato-san sighed, apparently buckling now before giving me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for the sudden Body Flicker, Tomoko-chan. I wasn't thinking."

"He should be thinking next time," was a nearby mutter. Huh?

I glanced around, only to make eye contact with a confused Obito and Rin. They didn't seem to be the culprits, so then who…

The hand on my shoulder squeezed again, and I found myself raising my head and staring at Kei. An unfamiliar glint was in her black eyes as she stared straight ahead, and even with the incoming sun highlighting her eye bags, it definitely looked like something was on her mind. Without meaning to, I spoke up. "Kei?"

She jolted from her apparent trance, tilting her head to look down at me with a crooked smile. From the angle, it almost looked like the gesture was forced if not for her reply. "What is it, Tomo-chan?"

 _Tomo-chan._ She really was using that nickname a lot lately.

 **Not that you mind, Tomoko-chan~** Hisako was humming, but I chose to put that thought to the side to answer. I already knew that the happy feeling in my heart would quickly disappear with the Chunin Exams starting. **And, wait a minute—**

"Is something wrong?" The question left me without any further thought, and Kei's eyes widened. The sight was already a bad enough sign, and I found myself fumbling with my hands. "I-I mean, you _are_ going into the Chunin Exams! Is there something on your mind, or is there something I can do for you, or—"

Hisako tried not to gape while banging two large pots together. Loudly. Did she just make those? **Tomoko-chan, BREATHE.** _ **Breathe,**_ **dammit! I am** _ **not**_ **having you degenerate into a mess when you don't need that right now!**

"Uh—" I was about to ramble yet again before forcing myself to stop with a quick, "Oh, screwme, I-I'mjustgoingtoshutuprightnow," and a duck of my head, because the stares from everyone else in the general vicinity was starting to become painful.

Hisako sighed, this time in relief and what sounded like fond exasperation. **We** _ **really**_ **need to work on your rambling, Tomoko-chan.**

If not for everyone still staring in our general direction, I would've given a faster reply. Instead, I forced myself to stare at my sandals, just trying to find something to hang onto and not be embarrassed like all heck.

A sigh sounded above me, pretty low and gravely from the tone, and then the same hand from before landed on my hair. "Don't worry too much, Tomo-chan. We'll be back before you know it. Thanks for coming to see us off."

For some reason, I couldn't shake off the idea that Kei wasn't being fully honest. Was she scared? Worried? I didn't know. Instead, I looked up to stare at her for a few moments, hoping to get some kind of answer without saying anything. Kei frowned when I caught her eye, and only scratched the back of her head that wasn't covered by her hitai-ite bandanna, shrugging. Glancing in Obito and Rin's directions for a quick second didn't help my thoughts because they seemed to be occupied with Gai-kun and his team…or something.

Would they _really_ be okay?

**I'm not betting anything. I'm just hoping they get out alive. Try to start with that yourself, Tomoko-chan.**

_Okay._ The reply was quiet, but it seemed to satisfy my other self considering her small smile.

"At this point, I'd think you're more worried than me," I could faintly hear Kakashi mutter behind me.

"Kakashi," said Minato-san.

 **Well, screw you too.** Hisako said sarcastically. **Both of you, for being stoic ninja. Remind me to grab a hammer and install a heart in those two.**

 _Ooookay, Hisako, that's a bit much_. I decided not to voice that aloud, because that was an awkward can of worms, lightly dropping a curtain on my other self to instead tug at my blue hair ribbon.

"Kei—"

"FORM UP, KONOHA GENIN!" Everyone from my viewpoint, whether older Genin or some lower-ranked Chunin from the looks of it, jumped. I freely admit — I kinda jumped and squeaked a little too. Kei didn't seem to be all that fazed, instead keeping her hand situated atop my head as she turned to the stage, and I ended up following her line of sight to land on…a red-eyed man? Why did he remind me of a future genjutsu-using kunoichi?

And wait. When did he show up in the first place?

The memory of a laughing, murderous villain with a red scythe went through my head, and I shivered.

 **Nope, nope, NOPE.** Hisako jumped out from behind the blue curtain to push the idea out with a face. **No zombie ninja here. High School of the Dead was bad enough for you.**

I would have to thank Hisako later. Everyone was looking at the stage now.

"Welcome to the Chunin Exams," the man said, quieter this time now that everyone was staring in his direction. "Some of you may have been here before, whether six months ago or longer. Some of you are new. And others…are guests." His head turned, and my throat clogged once those red eyes landed on me. Did he notice? Or was he just sweeping the room for weakness or something?

The light probing feeling I was getting didn't make me feel better.

Yeah, _nope._

Immediately, I ducked my head and took a step back so that I would be hiding behind Kei's shoulder. She blinked at me before turning back to the stage. "Sorry," I muttered, with my only reply being the same hand from before patting my head. At least ignoring Kakashi's stare into my back was easier to handle.

"I am Yūhi Kōbai, and I will be the examiner for the Second Exam of this multi-phase single-elimination event." His eyes swept across the room again, and I didn't miss how they lingered on me for a moment before looking forward, even with my hiding behind Kei. "But first, you must make it past my partner. And most of you will not."

**How wonderfully** _**ominous.** _

A light buzzing in my ears, and then before I could even blink, another man was in the room. Jounin-class, no doubt, or at least Tokubetsu Jounin. The high-collared jacket and dark glasses vaguely reminded me of Shino, so this person should be—

From the little window I had to peek over Kei's shoulder, Yūhi-san smirked. "Meet Aburame Shibi, the proctor for the First Exam."

I gulped. So it _was_ Shino's dad.

Kei, Obito, and Rin were going to be tested by _Shino's dad._

My heart wasn't feeling all that great now, and if not for my earlier bout of sickness, my stomach probably would have agreed with the situation.

Hisako sighed, wistfully this time. The sound was enough to jolt me out of standing like a frozen penguin, thankfully. **I kinda wish Kei had access to Gentle Fist-like chakra right now. Bugs being sliced up like in that one filler arc would be kinda cool.**

_More like gross and an image I kinda don't want to think about, Hisako._

**Whoops. Sorry.**

I held back the urge to facepalm, instead turning my head so I could look up at Kei again. Strangely, I could make out a small smirk on her part, albeit clumsy as Yūhi-san continued to speak. "Please report to the front desk for your seat assignment. After you get your number, get to your seat immediately. There will be points deducted for tardiness."

And with a roll of his shoulders, Yūhi-san made a hand sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Everyone — at least, everyone who vaguely _looked_ like a ninja — muttered amongst themselves before lining up in front of the aforementioned desk.

"Huh," was the first thing that ended up leaving my mouth.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Kei said next, and it was hard to miss the sarcasm. Or how Hisako started cackling at Kei's apparently downtrodden expression. Obito was grinning, at least, and Rin-chan herself was smiling nervously.

"Later, Gai. See you later in the finals!" Nearby, I could make out that same Green Genin Beast, sharing a fist bump and cheery greeting with Obito, before he disappeared into the crowd of other Genin heading to that line. So it _was_ Gai. I should've said a greeting, but then again, I didn't know him that well aside from Kakashi's complaints, so what was there to say?

Then, Minato-san took a step forward, a hand landing on my shoulder. I tried not to jump at the sudden feeling, instead looking up at the taller Jounin. The future Yellow Flash certainly looked serious, adding in his somewhat tight grip and glance at Kakashi. "At this point, I'll have to take Tomoko-chan home with Kakashi and leave you three here." The tone was quiet, but it was certainly for just Team Minato to hear alone. "If you pass the Second Exam, we'll be waiting for you at the end." _Buuut_ my stare in his direction must've done something because Minato-san glanced down at me before adding a quick, " _Without_ teleporting Tomoko-chan at least. We'll just run to meet you."

**Hooray! He's improving!**

Rin-chan let out a particular sigh of relief before smiling in my direction. I couldn't help the weak smile back. The team medic would always be a worrywart, huh.

"If you don't…" Minato-san paused, and I could've sworn I could've heard a hint of amusement in his voice. "Yamaguchi-sensei will see you in the hospital."

_Now he's just teasing._

Obito made a funny face as he crossed his arms. "Sensei, don't you have _any_ faith in us?"

I raised my hand hesitantly, the same time as Rin's reply of, "I do." Needless to say, the Uchiha blushed at that. Of course he would still have the crush.

If not for the canon implications of _that_ relationship still ringing in my mind, I would've gone on to think the idea cute.

I took a breath.

Minato-san blinked before glancing in the direction of my reincarnation buddy. "Kei-kun?"

Kei herself had strangely kept her mouth shut the entire time of the speech, and when everyone's eyes turned in her direction, mine included, she shrugged. "What the hell," she said flatly. "Let's get started."

Obito and Rin cheered loudly before almost running over to the line in earnest. Rin gave me a quick smile while passing, to which I smiled back, and I couldn't help but raise my hand for Obito to high-five before they both disappeared.

**I bet on Kei being made leader. She's capable enough.**

_I dunno, Hisako…_ At this point, I was just running on my gut feelings as Minato-san squeezed my shoulder. "Tomoko-chan, we should go."

"Just a minute, Minato-san," I tried not to fumble with my hands, because time was ticking. Kei was definitely in a situation she didn't want to be in, if her earlier sarcasm and shock at my questioning was anything to go by. But I didn't have much in good luck charms, and hugs couldn't always do the trick. My keyboard was at home, and Kakashi was already sharing a light one-sided conversation with Kei, if his deadpan expression at her offer for a hug was any indication, so what could I do…?

 **Tomoko-chan.** Hisako tugged at a hair strand, and it hit me.

She was already turning towards the dwindling line heading into the exam room when I spoke up. "Kei-chan?"

"Huh?"

Minato-san coincidentally let go of my shoulder once the idea came to me. Kakashi too, once he noticed I was coming, stepped to the side for me to move forward.

I ran towards her, untying my blue hair ribbon in the process, to reach over and grasp her left cowlick. At least, it looked like the left cowlick from my viewpoint. All I could catch was her wide black eyes before I turned to my handiwork, wrapping the ribbon around the strand of hair before tying in a firm knot. The bow was really a final touch, so by the time I was finished, it felt like it was only a few seconds since I started. "Something for good luck, aside from the usual hugs." I let the hair strand go to instead play with some of my own hair, dully noting how different it felt without the fabric brushing my cheek. "Since I don't have a better charm right now."

Kei tilted her head so that the decorated cowlick was in her line of vision. Her hand was already reaching over to lightly press her fingers against the ribbon, rubbing it to get a feel of the texture. " _Your_ hair ribbon, Tomo-chan? I thought this was your favorite one…"

"I-I have others at home, but still." Without even thinking, I reached over to wrap my arms around her neck and bring her down somewhat so that I could hug her. "Just for good luck. You better come back alive, please?"

I couldn't muster up the courage to say the words, " _Don't die."_ With war going on, you could never guarantee that in the ninja world.

There were many reasons why I envied Vy sometimes. This was one of them.

A moment was all it took for Kei to hug me back, squeezing tightly. Something lightly bonked the top of my head, and it certainly felt like a cheek if I didn't know any better. "I'll do my best," was the quiet reply. "Don't worry too much while I'm gone."

Finally, a smile was climbing up to cover my face, and I pulled away to take in the image of my best friend wearing my blue hair ribbon. The small bits of laughter I could get was good enough for me. A tough ninja swordswoman. Wearing _my_ hair ribbon. If not for the situation, it would've been extremely adorable considering our shared age of 9. Not to mention the Rurouni Kenshin references oozing from this whole situation. " _Ohmigosh_ , I'll have to work on a different charm for you when you come back. That ribbon will get dirty so easily considering your line of work."

Kei shrugged, smiling back at me while batting at the ribbon with her hand. "Whatever works for you, Tomoko-chan. Whatever works for you. If you're that concerned about it, I'll put it up in a storage seal and return it to you as clean as it is now when the Exams are done."

 **Dork.** Hisako said fondly.

_But she's our friendly dork._

**Not denying that.**

I smiled one last time before reaching over and pulling her into a final hug.

"Daisuki da yo, Kei-chan," I made sure to whisper before letting go and pushing her towards the line of ninja heading into the exam room. "Good luck."

I could only hope that by doing so, I wasn't sending her to her death.

All I could catch before she disappeared into the crowd of hitai-ite covered heads was a nod accompanied by a clumsy smile in my direction. I didn't even care that she didn't say anything back. Those two little things helped ease my heart already. And even then, I couldn't help but stare after the place where she had been, glancing between the dwindling crowd and the wooden doors.

Before I had time to even think on it, I was already clasping my hands together and murmuring to myself.

_Please, Buddha, or whatever God is out there. Please don't let my friends die._

Hisako stayed silent, the only sign of her presence being the warmth from her side of the mental library.

"C'mon, Tomoko." Kakashi's voice. I turned to see him frown at me from a meter or so away, Minato-san smiling sheepishly over his head. When did they move over there? "Let's go."

I wiped at my eyes in the hopes that no tears showed up before running after them. "C-Coming!"

Trying to ignore that thought was easier to do than thinking on why Yūhi-san kept glancing at me during that previous speech.

* * *

Kakashi couldn't shake off the strange weight on his chest.

He was a ninja. A Chunin. So then why was his heart so heavy?

He forced himself to take a breath. Not loud enough for Tomoko to notice at least, since she was walking behind him and Minato-sensei by a few paces, but enough to let out the frustration in a timely manner.

Minato-sensei gave him a questioning look, but Kakashi shook his head. It didn't feel right to explain now, especially with the glances the villagers were giving to the group.

True, Minato-sensei's presence certainly stopped the villagers from whispering as they would normally, but the endless staring from almost every direction wasn't any less annoying to deal with.

If not for Minato-sensei's own mishap earlier when it came to a certain civilian's motion sickness, Kakashi had half the urge to run by rooftop, go as fast as he could to get away from the prying eyes and be in privacy. He held the urge down though. Judai-jichan probably wouldn't let _either_ of them hear the end of that discussion if he tried.

In the end, with a few more blocks behind them and the slow dissipation of stares, Kakashi allowed himself a loud sigh.

Tomoko, who was still lingering behind him and Minato-sensei, stopped her slow pace before jogging forward more frantically. The concern that had been lingering in her eyes had now turned into clear worry directed at him, and Kakashi didn't know whether to feel better about it. It was still a stare, no matter what the intention was. "Kakashi? Are you okay?"

Of course she was going to ask. Kakashi didn't have the heart to give her a dry answer, because the weight on his heart wasn't going to get any heavier. Not to mention Minato-sensei's own questioning glance. He shrugged before settling with a simple breath of, "Thinking."

Unfortunately, despite what he wanted to hope, Tomoko didn't seem to want to drop the subject, a questioning frown on her face. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it, instead taking a step back so that she could tug at a strand of her hair, probably to make up for the jarring lack of any hair ribbon.

His heart weighed more at the thought.

"Kakashi?" Minato-sensei tried.

Nagareboshi Cafe was only a block away, but Kakashi shook his head. This weight was getting ridiculous.

_Fuck it._

He spoke his mind. "Tomoko, what was that earlier?"

The sudden statement clearly threw the civilian girl off guard, because without even looking behind him, Kakashi knew that she jumped judging by the light squeak. "Eh?" A second was all it took for her to walk up and stand in-between him and Minato-sensei, blinking. "Kakashi, what do you mean by 'that'?"

Minato-sensei inclined his head towards the two of them patiently.

Kakashi tried not to sigh again, instead exhaling slowly. "That." He paused, taking a few seconds to judge the area in the hopes of there being no passerby, and thankfully, there weren't any around. Not even a nosy stare. Good. With a breath, he continued. "Your last words to Kei."

"What about them?" _Of course_ Tomoko still wasn't getting the message, and he held back the urge to snort bitterly. Of course she wouldn't get it. This wasn't like training with Obito or trying to make a day go by when Kei and Hayate were in the house.

Kakashi forced himself to say it as calmly as possible. "Why did you tell Kei you loved her?"

Hugs were one thing, considering Kakashi had already lost track of how many times they had occurred in the past year. But to say ' _love'? 'Daisuki'?_ Kakashi only needed one hand to count off the number of times _that_ happened, and Tomoko had only used those words for Judai-jichan and Hikari-bachan.

Not to him, or _Kei_ for that matter.

So what made today different?

The thought only made his stomach twist in on itself.

Minato-sensei blinked in what looked like a bit of surprise, just as Tomoko froze. A light pink slowly started blooming on her face before turning into soft red. The color was quick to cover her cheeks spread to the tip of her nose. "Y-You _heard_ that?" was the squeaked answer, and Kakashi could've sworn the girl had choked. "Oh. Oh dear."

His stomach back flipped. It wasn't a good one.

Tomoko proceeded to cover up most of her now red face with her hands, shaking her head vigorously. "Ohmigod, ohmigod, you actually _heard_ that. Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod…"

Minato-sensei looked like he didn't know whether to intervene or stay silent. Judging by the next few seconds of embarrassed rambling, he decided to take the second option, only placing a hand on the civilian's head to calm her down.

Kakashi waited.

Once the last bit of embarrassed mumbles was out into the air, Tomoko slowly removed her hands before smiling shyly. "I-Is there something wrong with saying that to a best friend?"

Kakashi could only give her a disbelieving stare. ' _Daisuki_ ' wasn't used often between friends, if not never. "Tomoko, it's not like Kei is going to _die._ "

"You don't know that," Tomoko continued, and it only took a moment for him to realize that her voice had turned hard with grim foreboding. What? "I don't think _any_ of us know that."

It only took another second for the words to sink in and for the weight on his heart to be replaced with tension.

Minato-sensei seemed to be somewhat caught off guard too, judging by the slight tensing of his hand. "Tomoko-chan?"

The Jounin's call of the girl's name did nothing to help, as the girl simply shrank into herself via hugging her arms. "You can't guarantee that…You can't just say that so _simply_ and expect it to be all handy-dandy okay…" Tomoko shook her head vigorously before straightening herself and putting on a smile. "So, in the face of possible death, what's wrong with saying that?"

Kakashi opened his mouth but found a lack of words coming from it. The way the civilian said the words so cheerfully didn't help anything.

Why did he get the feeling that Tomoko was hiding something? It wasn't the first time that it was painfully obvious that something else was going on, but he never really knew what to do when Tomoko acted this way. Recognizing and helping _Dad_ was one thing, but Tomoko's angle was different.

She always had this habit of putting on a smile and forcing herself forward if things went wrong. Judai-jichan and Hikari-bachan had a better idea of how to handle her, but him? Kakashi never felt that sure. It was almost ironic that the most cheerful person aside from Gai had the paradoxical nature of concealing how she felt in plain sight. As if expecting everyone not to notice and go on like she was invisible.

What could he possibly say in the face of that?

The passing silence that resulted seemed to have done something as Tomoko's smile quickly dropped. With a soft sigh of her own, she walked over, and Kakashi found himself blinking once her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him down for a hug. What? "Don't worry about me," was the whisper in his ear. "And besides, I care about you and everyone else too, Kakashi. So it's fine, okay?"

Tomoko pulled away, with a brighter, more familiar smile tugging at her lips. "Now let's go home! Mama and Papa are waiting for us to come back anyways!"

Kakashi couldn't help the small "Tch" that leaves him when she grabs his hand but couldn't find the heart in him either to resist her pulling him along. Minato-sensei certainly didn't seem to mind at least, judging by his small grin in Kakashi's direction too.

He'll get an answer one day. That was how Tomoko was.

For now, he would only listen in on the piano music that happened at night. Never interrupt, only observe. The soft chords echoing in Nagareboshi Cafe did come up to the house, no matter what kind of privacy seal Tomoko stuck on the back door leading to the stairs. After all, she always forgot to close windows. Kakashi could at least try to ignore the slight twinge of pain echoing in his ribs every time he heard the sound of a soft sob, just to let the civilian have her space and vent in privacy. Perhaps crying alone over the piano was her way of moving on or allowing the Team to not worry. Kakashi wasn't sure but staying quiet was better than bringing up the subject again.

* * *

What was convenient about the Forest of Death was that time moved quickly. Despite dealing with survival and camping, which Kei hated already. The risk of being eaten by tigers or getting ambushed by an enemy team didn't help anything. At least the high canopies of the trees helped sleep at night, along with some well-placed ninja wire.

Kei didn't even remember the hair ribbon still tied to her hair until the team had reached the Forest Tower and Kakashi had arrived from the victory scroll.

Apparently the Chunin was hygiene-conscious already, but then again, Kei preferred her blood where it was. In the Chunin Exams, stripping down to one's birthday suit just to bathe equaled painting a target on your back. Just, _no._

The last thing she was expecting was Kakashi to give her a long stare before sighing and face-palming. "Why is it always me?" he muttered.

"What is it _this_ time?" Obito interrupted hotly, long before Kei could say anything.

"Tomoko's not going to be happy," Kakashi elaborated, and Kei blinked. He sighed, louder this time while removing his hand and pointing at her. "I had a message from her and everything about that good luck charm and loving you all," Kei could've sworn Kakashi clicked his tongue at the last part, "But the blood on that ribbon is hard to overlook."

 **Oh shit,** said the Dreamer.

Kei immediately grabbed her left cowlick in question to look and winced. "Fuck," escaped her instinctively, because the amount of dirt, grime, and blood covering the once bright blue fabric wasn't anything to laugh at. The hair ribbon was literally a war-torn ghost of its former self. Kei tried not to hiss at her own incompetence. "How worried was she?"

"Cried every now and then for the past few nights when she thinks no one is listening and has been forcing herself to keep going at the cafe despite her worry," Kakashi deadpanned. "Happy now?"

Double fuck.

"We should probably hug her when we get back," Rin summed up adequately.

"Probably," Kei finished guiltily. "After a good shower."

Grime on a ribbon was bad enough. Kei did not want to see Hikari-bachan shriek at overall bloodied Genin.

* * *

Namikaze Minato prided himself on being a stoic Jounin when needed. Put on a mask and be a soldier, a leader when the people around him needed him to be that way.

That didn't mean he wasn't proud of it. Even if he was arguably one of the best shinobi at staying calm. The fact that he could hide away his emotions so easily was something he had grown to detest over the years, just for the fact that he could do it so often. It had gotten to the point that it was becoming increasingly difficult to turn the mask off and be a normal human and _not_ a ninja when the situation called for it. He could still emote as much as others, sure, but that didn't make the revelation any less disturbing. The current Chunin Exam Preliminary Matches that his students were participating in only served as an example of that quality, and Minato hated it.

When he saw Obito fall, all Minato could offer was a helping hand to the medics after vaulting over the fence cutting off the viewing stands and the battlefield and a sympathetic glance to Kei and Rin.

When Rin fell next, he could only force himself to not visibly show his worry and hold Kei back via her shirt in case she planned to jump over the railing yet again. Even making conversation during the fight made him feel more like _trash_ than human, because all he could focus on were combat abilities and performance, when all Kei and Kakashi probably needed as _nine-year-old children_ was time to themselves and a world to let them mature freely without war.

Then again, how old was Minato when he had first killed? It had been so long ago, but the scene was still painted clearly in his mind, no matter how much Jiraiya-sensei tried to help him forget.

Kushina had always told him to loosen up, to feel more when the situation allowed it, but at this point, Minato wasn't even sure if he was even _able_ to. Could he? After the deaths of his teammates, Jiraiya-sensei's own traveling around the Five Great Shinobi Nations to set up his spy network for the sake of the greater good, and the Hokage relying on _him_ as one of many leaders in the Third Great Shinobi World War, Minato didn't know anymore.

The Ino-Shika-Chō trio had girlfriends of their own, like him with Kushina, but they all had to go to war, and sometimes Minato wondered what the point to all this was.

Yuki Judai, the Unscathed Hero, was able to retire and have a family. Gekkō Wataru and Miyako too, both off the active shinobi roster and raising Kei-kun and a young Hayate. Hatake Sakumo, in training to become an Academy teacher.

Did Minato have that kind of prospective waiting for him? That kind of peaceful life?

Was peace even possible when all he could do when _Kei_ fell in the Preliminaries was assess the situation with that same hated calm and rush her to the medics, knowing only they could care for his student now?

Fighting and training only did so much. Letting go of one's emotions and thoughts was another matter entirely, and for once in his life, when Kakashi asked him that question, he wasn't sure how to answer.

"Sensei," Kakashi started quietly once the Preliminaries were over and ninja were beginning to clean the area. "What are we going to tell Tomoko?"

"Ah," he found himself saying, just as quiet. "She's going to be worried again, isn't she."

The Chunin Exams was Minato's way of checking whether his team was ready. Knowing if they were ready for the war-torn world that lay beyond Konoha's walls.

But when watching the medics take Kei away on a stretcher, all Minato could feel was cold regret and uncertainty.

Was peace really possible…?

Even if being hurt was an inevitability in the shinobi life, did his kids deserve it? Did they really deserve a life of war like his?

He shut off that train of thought as soon as the Preliminary battlefield emptied out.

Namikaze Minato had to be the Jounin in this situation. He could only let himself dread the possibility of confronting the families when the news came out. There was no way he was letting Kakashi handle this alone.

Minato was the one who allowed his students to take the Exams. So it was his responsibility to report their results, no matter how grim they were.

He couldn't help but dread the glares he would be receiving soon.

* * *

Kakashi didn't have the highest hopes when it came to sharing the news with the Hoshino Family and, by extension, the Gekkō Family. Specifically, the news about Team Minato's progress in the Chunin Exams, which in of itself was a bringer of bad foreboding. It was true that no one in the Exams died, thankfully, but the fact that Kei, Obito, and Rin were all hospitalized would surely weigh on everyone in one way or another, some more than others.

Hence the trip to Nagareboshi Cafe being somewhat tense. Even Minato-sensei seemed to be somewhat on edge, and Kakashi couldn't fault him for being that way. If Judai-jichan and Hikari-bachan grew to quickly dislike Minato only a few months after Team Minato came together, how would they react to this?

The most Kakashi could even hope to expect was a punch.

And when they had entered the house, with all the adults waiting at the dinner table, Minato-sensei ended up getting as much.

More specifically, Judai-jichan reared his hand back, fully intending to do so, but stopped himself before actually landing a hit. Minato-sensei clearly wasn't fully expecting the move and was left blinking wide eyes at the fist still lingering in front of his face.

"Uhm," he said awkwardly. "The kids are all okay, Judai. Just in the hospital for a few days."

"I'd actually punch you if they _died_ ," Judai hissed angrily, pulling his fist back to shake his head. "Because if they did, it would be on _your_ head."

Minato gulped. "I'm fully aware."

"Judai, man, calm down." Wataru said, placating. "At least the kids are alive!"

The former Unscathed Hero immediately turned on the older Gekkō with a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving huff. Wataru raised his hands in surrender, sweating. "What, so am I _not_ supposed to be unhappy that my adopted niece and friends ended up in the dreaded hospital? The food down there _sucks!_ "

" _Bwuh_ ," Wataru replied dully.

"Judai," Miyako interrupted, raising a calm hand. The action gave more than enough time for Wataru to recover from his fish-like state. "You do not have to bring in your own hospital experience to make your point. The Genin are okay, and that is the least we can ask for."

From the looks of it, Hikari didn't know whether to butt in or shake her head fondly. "Oh, Judai," she muttered, forehead pressing against her palm. "At least the kids aren't trying to make hospital escapes like _you_ used to do so long ago."

Judai proceeded to turn a bright red. "H-Hikari, I thought that was between _us!_ Why are you bringing that up _now?!_ "

"Because you're a dork and worrying about the kids is only going to make the atmosphere more negative than it actually is?" Hikari wiggled a finger while grinning teasingly. "At least I'm not bringing up something else unless you want to think about it when we're _alone~_?"

"Augh," was the best approximation for the strangled noise that left Judai's throat.

Sakumo, who had yet to speak this entire time, proceeded to hide a snicker.

Kakashi honestly felt out of place now as Minato-sensei continued to stand in his corner like a frozen statue.

"Oh?" Miyako sounded interested now as she turned to the civilian woman. "Do elaborate on Judai's days in the hospital, Hikari-chan, please. This sounds interesting."

"O-Oi, Miyako-chan," Wataru was laughing too, just in time with Hikari's current cackling. To Kakashi, it almost felt like the tension had melted away entirely. He wasn't even sure of why and _how_. It just felt so much warmer in the house. "You just stole my line!"

Kakashi didn't know if he should even laugh. Dad was laughing already, and with the biggest smile he had ever seen in a while.

When was the last time Kakashi ever saw him like that…?

From the corner of his eye, he could vaguely make out a tired smile tugging at Minato-sensei's lips.

"What's everyone laughing about?" said a curious voice from the kitchen.

Nearly everyone except Judai-jichan, Hikari-bachan, and Miyako-bachan froze. Sakumo himself was caught mid-laugh, just as a specific civilian girl poked her head out of a nearby cupboard, black hair framing her face. "I was just gone making cheesecake, and now everyone's laughing!" Tomoko was pouting despite saying the sentence with a straight, matter-of-fact tone. In her arms was, indeed, a large, clean and white cheesecake sitting on a matching white platter, topped with a small bunch of mint leaves. "What did I miss?"

Kakashi couldn't miss the brown head of Hayate poking around Tomoko's waist either.

Minato-sensei clearly looked like a rock statue now, cracking.

Oh yeah. Kakashi forgot that Tomoko took up stress-baking in the past week of the Chunin Exams taking place. It was a strange habit of hers, even weirder than her faked enthusiasm when it came to emotional fronts, and honestly, he would have to put the blame on Kei for this one. Baking was one thing, but when making so many sweets to the point of nearly _flooding_ the refrigerator and nearby cupboards with baking ingredients for an entire day, Kakashi had problems. More so since he wasn't fond of sweets. It started with blueberry muffins, and only escalated from there.

The only time Kakashi ever remembered Hikari putting her foot down was when Tomoko tried to attempt a double-decker cake of some kind. Almost every sweet past that gigantic creation went into the new display case put up at Nagareboshi's entrance, just to go for sale. Let others suffer — _cough_ , no, he meant — enjoy those creations more than him. They had the choice, at least.

And Hayate enjoyed sweets with that sweet tooth of his.

But that didn't change the fact that Tomoko asked the closest thing to the dreaded question. She didn't say, "What happened," luckily, but answers were still risky.

"Mom?" Hayate tried, a hand lightly gripping the hem of Tomoko's blouse. "Dad? Did something happen to Sis?"

_Shit._

Wataru fumbled with his hands. "Uh."

Minato-sensei's stone impression was gaining more and more cracks. If not for the tense cold of the room, Kakashi would've had half the urge to laugh.

Tomoko's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

Thankfully, someone else decided to take up the eggshell-walking before Kakashi could even consider. Miyako-bachan slowly smiled before getting up from her seat at the dinner table and walking over, taking the cheesecake off of Tomoko's hands. "Kei-chan and her team seems to have gotten themselves hurt a bit, Hayate-chan. And Tomoko-chan, remember to breathe."

The civilian girl was apparently frozen in her previous pose of holding onto the cheesecake platter, and at Miyako's admonishment, jolted with a jump. "Wah!" She shook her head vigorously, slapping her cheeks for a second. "Ow."

"Tomoko-nee…" Hayate sweated while tugging on her shirt. "That's a bit much."

Miyako only raised an eyebrow at the girl before sighing. "Tomoko-chan, I do not think _that_ was required." Nonetheless, the same small smile was on her face as she put the apparently large cheesecake to the side. "But Kei-chan and the others should be in the hospital, and we can go visit them after this."

Kakashi didn't miss how the swordswoman directed a stare in Minato-sensei's direction, and he could've sworn the Jounin metaphorically crumbled into little rock pieces with how he withered from the stare. "Is that fine with you, Namikaze-san?"

"Swell," he choked out.

"So," Miyako went on, turning back to Tomoko and Hayate by putting a hand on their shoulders. "How about we visit them all as a group?"

Hayate grinned. On the other hand, Kakashi held his breath in case of anything happening, but to his surprise, Tomoko only sighed. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear before smiling back at Miyako-bachan, nodding slowly.

Tomoko was improving if she wasn't crying. The baking really helped after all.

"Just let me try making mochi, Miyako-bachan, okay? Then we can go."

Hikari only snickered.

Now if only Kakashi didn't have to be the first option for taste-testing…

* * *

Keyboard on my back. Picnic basket filled to half-capacity with carefully wrapped pieces of cheesecake and red bean mochi, accompanied by napkins.

I glanced at myself over the mirror in the bathroom, adjusted my ribbon belt, and huffed. The light blue ruffled collar and overall simplicity of the white dress fabric worked. Now all I could hope for was not having to handle bloodstains.

Then again, with the hospital…

Why was I dressing up like this again?

**You look good, dear. Really cute.**

I tried not to blush at the comment. _Thank you, Hisako._

**Just saying the truth, Tomoko-chan. Hikari-bachan has wonderful taste.**

_I don't think it's the_ _ **truth**_ — And then my eyes landed on the sink counter and the hair ribbon sitting there. _Oh._

Hisako noticed too and smiled wryly. **The original's still with Kei, y'know.**

I tried not to gulp and instead grabbed it to tie my hair in a small ponytail instead. The usual bow didn't feel right, and to be honest, with everything I was carrying, it would probably be better to have my hair out of the way. This blue ribbon wasn't the charm I gave Kei. And I honestly wanted to wait until I could see her again to get it back and wear my hair like I used to.

Maybe that explained my unconscious choice of a fancier outfit when heading out.

**Quit worrying. Let's just go, Tomoko-chan.**

I walked out of the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with Papa, who smiled softly. "Let's go, hime," he unknowingly repeated. "The _dreaded_ hospital—" emphasized with a funny waving of his arms, "—Here we come!"

"Yeah," I replied to them both. Going forward without tears was better than with tears anyways. "Let's go."

Thankfully, the walk itself was quick. Since it was late afternoon, nearing early evening, really, by the time Papa had talked to the receptionist (who apparently recognized me despite my new hairstyle, waving with a smile), the sun was already casting twilight into the building. It felt eerily beautiful, if I could say that much. Almost reminiscent of a certain town that I remembered from an old game…

**Dear, focus. No time to reminisce, okay?**

_Trying, Hisako._ It was already taking a bit out of me to keep walking calmly _without_ worrying about how Kei and everyone else would react to me.

How could I approach them when I already spent a few nights _crying_ in worry over them? Keeping my sobs to myself in order to not worry anyone else? Knowing Kakashi, he would've said something, considering his own observations and Canon behavior. Not to mention his status as one of the summoned Chunin when the Second Phase apparently ended. He didn't say anything, but it still felt a lot like something Vy's older brother would do in that regard.

And then Papa nudged me to a stop. "Tomoko-chan," he put a finger to his lips for silence as soon as I looked up at him. "We're here. But don't go in just yet."

The 'why' was caught on the tip of my tongue as soon as he motioned to the inside of Kei's room, and I glanced in to freeze.

Minato-san and Miyako-bachan were in there. Kei wasn't alone, and from the looks of things, Papa and I had nearly interrupted an important moment. All I could make out was, "Post-mission debrief, Gekkō-san," and some other words, but what really made me freeze was how _small_ my reincarnation buddy looked from the angle. It had only been a little over a week since I had last seen her, so why was I feeling so sad when seeing her like that? She was being hugged by Miyako-bachan, sure, and being the kid that she couldn't be normally via hugging a bunch of blankets, but there was still something almost sad and tragic about her being that way. Not to mention the hospital gown and the various machines she was hooked up to.

The whole thing just reminded me of some of the patients Vy had to help back in her days as a hospital volunteer, and how families and friends alike were conflicted over health and treatment.

I knew Kei was going to get better, but for some reason, I just couldn't shake off the feeling that I was missing out on something else yet again, and I couldn't do anything about it to help her. Was that it?

Was I really so useless like a goddamn _paperweight_?

I didn't want to entertain the idea of my being only able to cry, emote, stress-bake, and play piano. Everyone should have the power to do their own thing. So what was my thing?

_Hisako?_

**Yes, dear?**

_I_ — The thought was cut off as soon as Papa turned back to me again and lightly pushed me behind him. Despite the small smile on his face, the deep brown color his eyes had taken, almost reflecting red…and green? Huh? I rubbed my eyes, and when looking back on it, his eyes were still brown, but I couldn't shake off the idea that his eyes had changed colors to that red-green heterochromia again. Had he noticed too? That something happened?

"Let's wait out here, hime," Papa smiled again, kneeling to my height to put a hand on my head. "Let Miyako handle this for a bit."

As soon as he finished, there was the telltale crack of what sounded like a Body Flicker inside the room, and then I could faintly make out the sounds of laughter. Laughter, but sad with the occasional choked up, muffled sob. I didn't have to look inside the room again to know that the source was Kei. Kei being with Miyako-bachan as the kid she was supposed to be.

Tears were bubbling in my eyes themselves, probably from my heart's own empathy, but I forced myself to wipe them away and hug Papa instead. He tensed in clear surprise, but still rested a hand on my head to pat it. "Don't worry, hime. I got you." From the soft brushing of my hair, he didn't even mind the keyboard still strapped to my back, nor the picnic basket hanging from one of my arms. Instead, he only hugged me back while slowly moving me towards one of the benches outside the room and in the hallway. "Let it out if you have to."

And yet despite his words, I couldn't find the strength to cry. Maybe it was because I had cried enough this past week, and to be honest, there was only so many tears one could shed before they became tired of it. Before crying could really help anything or anyone.

Still, Papa stayed, hugging me to him and just letting me rest. Maybe it was just that charm he had as 'Papa' that was slightly different from Vy's Dad, but it was still _my_ Dad keeping me at his side and sticking around to snuggle when I was feeling emotionally out of it.

In this crapsack ninja world, I could take that any day.

I don't even know when Miyako-bachan had left the vicinity of Kei's hospital room, but by the time Papa had nudged me up from his shoulder, I could've sworn I dozed off and started drooling a little. "Tomoko-chan, you sleepyhead, get up. Kei-kun should be free now."

My head was really too fuzzy to really register anything else. "Muh," I said, then got up to stretch my arms. "Ooookay…"

Behind me, I could've sworn Papa snickered before standing up and lightly pushing at my shoulder. "Brush that bedhead before you go in, hime. Better to keep up appearances before your Mama complains."

A hand larger than my own grabbed mine to guide it towards my head, mussing up the hair in question before lightly patting it. Pat pat pat. If not for my being used to this form of affection from him, I really would've batted his hand away, but hey. It was Papa. There was no way I could really refuse Papa. Well, maybe except when he was adamant on stealing all the fried shrimp.

Nonetheless, I didn't even register my being pushed into the hospital room until I found myself locking gazes with wide black eyes.

Eye bag-highlighted black eyes.

_Kei._

I held back any sign of squealing to smile. My reincarnation buddy only inclined her head, grinning wryly back. "Hi, Kei."

"Hi, Tomo," she said back. "Good to see you." Kei glanced at Papa behind me and nodded. "Hey, Judai-jichan."

"Yo," Papa answered simply with a wave.

And then the hair ribbon came into view. I didn't even realize Kei was still wearing it until the cowlick in question brushed her cheek, and just one glance at it had me caught between staring and reeling back with a huff of exasperation.

Papa guffawed as soon as he looked at where I was staring at. "Pfft."

The few splotches of faded blue, I could take. The oily grime, brown dirt, and dried mahogany blood stains? Not as much.

I ended up face-palming. Hard. Even if Hisako winced, could you blame me? "Well," I muttered between the cracks in my fingers. "At least we stock up on good detergent. And that it wasn't white."

Kei seemed to notice the ribbon too, from the looks of the whole thing between my fingers, glancing at the accessory in question before scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Yeah. Uh, sorry."

I appreciated the apology, but all that left me instead was an exasperated, "What happened to sealing scrolls." And _god_ , it definitely sounded like Hisako's sarcasm seeping through my voice.

**Heheheh.**

I was not in the mood for this. _Hisako._

She proceeded to disappear with a teasing, **Meep meep!**

Papa was clearly hiding obvious laughter now because I didn't need to look behind me to know he was bending over and holding his stomach.

Kei instead scratched at the top of her head, mussing up her already messy hair and making the IV connected to her left upper arm all the more painfully obvious. "I forgot it was there," she said slowly.

 _Oh fuck it_. I couldn't even find the strength to be angry, because all that was flooding my heart was warmth and just plain _relief._ "…You huge _doof_." I said, not even realizing I somehow made my own synonym for 'dork.' Instead, I sighed. "Lemme guess, I shouldn't hug you because of you being in a hospital bed with all the machines around you, or should I just refrain from tackling in general? Because I was hoping for a small tackle."

Kei blinked at me before shaking her head with a more sheepish, crooked grin. "I kinda broke a thing, so can I get a rain check on roughhousing?"

It took all I had to not mutter a tired, "Kei~" under my breath because the amount of times I should've expected this in the ninja life was _ridiculous_. Kei wasn't going to stay out of the hospital forever. Nor was Obito, Rin, or even Kakashi, despite how powerful Kakashi was in terms of rank. I needed to get used to this faster, and be more mature, because my current attempts were horrendous, and I probably needed to toss myself into an incinerator for my damn immaturity. Nonetheless, the urge to hug was still tugging at me, so I improvised. After a small staring contest.

Kei only blinked at me again. "Tomo?"

Papa only continued to snicker under his breath.

I sighed again. "Okay then, let me rephrase my previous question. Can I at least hug you? Softly? Then play you a song?" For emphasis, I tugged at the strap holding my keyboard to my back, attempting to smile despite the exasperation and remnants of Hisako's sarcasm running through me. Kei deserved kindness, not Nobody sass.

**Meep meep meep~**

_Hisako, be quiet, please._

Kei paused for a moment before shrugging with a more tired smile this time. "I'll agree to a hug. Then one song, okay?"

I didn't even know if I had the energy to just present _one_ song. One song didn't feel like enough, especially after not seeing her for more than a week, constantly worrying about her. But the hug? I ended up beaming, ignoring Papa's quiet laughter all the while. "One hug is more than good enough for me." It didn't take long for me to walk over and put the snack basket to the side just to reach over and _hug,_ and even with the scent of medicine and bleach, it was still _Kei_. My reincarnation buddy, Kei, who was injured, but alive. I could take that much.

"It's not the best situation there is, but welcome back," I made sure to murmur in her ear. "I'm just glad you're okay."

A second was all it took for Kei to hug back, and the tighter grip was already a good sign. "Yeah, I agree. Thanks for being here, Tomoko-chan."

I don't even know when Papa stopped laughing, or when he left the room for us to have this cheesy friendship moment, but it was still something. Kei was back, and I was happy to have her back. I pulled away to point at the picnic basket full of sweets while taking the keyboard strap off my shoulders. "If you're tired of hospital food, I have cheesecake. And some…squished red bean mochi. If you don't mind."

The surprised smile in my direction was more than enough of a signal for me to start setting up the keyboard at almost top-record speed. "You made it, Tomo-chan? All that?"

"Hehe, I…kinda stress-bake now?" I didn't let the statement linger long before I found an outlet near the bed counter and plugged the keyboard in. "Just sit back and relax."

The least I could do was ignore whatever eyes were still around and instead let Kei remember _Pokémon_ again.

It was peaceful. And for once in this crapsack world and dreary hospital? I wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Thanks again are in order to those who reviewed and so on. It's actually 9:30 pm when I put this up, and I need sleep.
> 
> Shout outs to Lang, Os, Abalisk, and my other online friends, because they keep me up with writing ideas when I run out. For everyone else, who's wondering about certain parts of the chapter and so on, feel free to PM me or mention your questions on Tumblr so that I can answer. :)
> 
> This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to sleep and plan Chapter 18, as well as the arcs leading up to Kannabi~


	18. Will to Not Give Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Lizz Robinett's slow cover of My Will, the first ending from InuYasha. I already loved the original song, but Lizz's cover really won me over with its symbolic lyrics and piano-violin ballad reaching out to the emotions I want to convey in this chapter. The first Chunin Exams may be over for our protagonists, but the lingering feelings from the whole ordeal aren't just going to go away.
> 
> An alternative theme is Kyle Landry's rendition of Ecruteak City from the Generation 2 Pokémon games. I never truly appreciated this city until I played SoulSilver myself, but it is still an amazing landmark in the Pokémon Franchise that deserves all the recognition it can get. And yes, I know I'm pulling another Pokémon theme, just after the last chapter too, but I can't help it! The games have an amazing soundtrack!
> 
> Nonetheless, here we go with the chapter. Please enjoy!

_Chapter 18: Will to Not Give Up_

Recovery was slow. It always was, whether it was Vy's original Earth or the Narutoverse. No matter how you looked at it, physical and emotional recovery were processes that couldn't be rushed.

But sometimes, there was this one small thought in the back of my mind, a part that Hisako always found behind the books in my part of the library and frowned upon.

_What's the goddamn point in all this?_

Was it cynicism? Lingering parts of my own regret? Bitter anger at the society and world I was born in? At the civilians who continued to judge everything I did, even when I was doing nothing but walking home with Rin-chan?

I wasn't sure. Maybe it was the whole thing with the Chunin Exams that started the roots of that thought. How despite Kei, Obito, and Rin all safely coming back with their lives intact, I couldn't help but feel wary. The dirty blue hair ribbon that Kei gave back to me as a sign of return was proof of that wariness in my eyes.

_What was the point in fighting?_

I wanted to ask that aloud, but I knew I could never voice it. No one would really listen to a civvie normally, and Kei and the others were still healing. There was no point in voicing it if all I wanted to do was vent. The thought might just trouble everyone I know.

So, when that thought first came about in my mind, I hid it. I hid it as best as I could. Not from Hisako, because I know she's me. How could I hide anything from my Nobody? She knew me, heart and all. Instead, I hid it from everyone else.

All that it depended on was how much I could suppress the thought when playing the piano, because chakra-reasons, and how well I could keep up smiles and cheer without my friends coming near, if you wanted the poetry rhyme there.

The last part was easier said than done considering everyone I knew (aside from Mama, anyways) were _ninja_. The difficulty was amped up to Eleven simply because two of said group — Kei and Miyako-bachan, actually — were _sensors_. Not to mention, lying being my worst suit of cards I could ask for. Normally, this would be to my benefit, because personal problems could be resolved without too many issues, but this thought was different.

I didn't want to think about the reactions everyone would have to my thoughts like that. How could I share something like that anyways, with the war going on? There was so much negativity in the air as is. The whole thing with Sakumo-jichan's failed mission was proof of that. Not to mention, Hayate looking up to me as another big sister. To a boy like that, I could never bear to say it. He deserved to keep his innocence for as long as he could. Nor could I even peep a word to Obito and Rin because they had already gone through one ordeal. There was no way in damn hell was I involving them in another problem, _especially_ one of my own makings.

Kakashi probably was the only one aside from Mama and Papa who seemed to give off an impression that he knew. There was always that lingering feeling that I wasn't alone whenever I played the piano at night just to vent on my own, but I could never pinpoint it. Nor could I really ask him about it because it was _Kakashi._ Even if he was a best friend, he was still good at giving off an aura that screamed, 'Do not disturb, please.'

And Kei. I didn't know what to think, but to be honest, thoughts of her probable reaction was what led me to what I was doing now.

Measuring cups of sugar to make yet another cheesecake.

Stress-baking may seem like much, but for hungry ninja? It was certainly a godsend, if Papa's drooling was any laughing matter. It was getting _slightly_ easier to ignore his looming over my right shoulder today, because focusing on getting the ingredients right was more important and all a dorky Papa did was drool and stare.

Now, where was Mama—

"Oh, Tomoko-chan, what are you up to this time?"

Oh. There she is. Lingering over my other shoulder. Without skipping a beat, I turned on the electric mixer with a push of its button to beat the heavy cream and cream cheese together. "Hi, Mama. Just baking again."

"Cheesecake?" A small shove, followed by what I could faintly make out as Papa's yelp of protest. "Tomoko-chan, I love that you're working more in the kitchen now, but is something the matter?"

 **Bulls-eye,** said Hisako. **Someone was going to catch on eventually.**

I tried to ignore that thought.

Instead of instinctively freezing, I took a breath before turning around with a small smile in her direction. "I'm just…thinking too much, I guess?" was my answer, just because I couldn't think of anything else and it was hard to lie to parents, no matter what life it was. "But I'm okay, Mama. I just need to bake the thoughts off."

Mama only raised a questioning eyebrow at me, and the look in her eyes clearly showed her disbelief without saying anything. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, before reconsidering. After a pause, accompanied by the whirr of the mixer, Mama huffed while putting a hand on her hip. "Are you really sure about that, Tomoko-chan? It doesn't look like you're just 'thinking.'"

Papa's eyes immediately narrowed in my direction as he moved to wipe at the drool hanging from his mouth. "Tomoko-chan?"

 _Frick_. I took a breath and turned off the electric mixer for a minute, instead swiveling my head to glance at the cheesecake batter to find an answer. My grip loosened around the mixer for an almost equivalent amount of time, and a moment of silence passed before I could find my voice. "…75% sure, Mama, Papa. 75%, I guess."

"Not a 100?" Papa spoke this time, and I tried not to flinch at the sound of worry in his voice. He didn't need to sound like that. Not for me… "Tomoko-chan, if something's troubling you, you can talk to us."

"I-it's better than 50%, Papa, 75," I settled for instead, tightening my grip on the mixer before turning my head to smile. I could only hope that the brightness was coming through enough to stop the worry. And gosh darn my stutter otherwise. No matter what life it was, I didn't like seeing Mama and Papa worried like this. Never have, never will. "And I'll be okay. It's just this last 25% that should go away with another cheesecake or some piano! I'll be okay, promise!"

Mama opened her mouth again as soon as we locked gazes but stopped as soon as Papa smiled. It wasn't one of his cheery smiles, instead being a weary one, but it was still a smile nonetheless. I didn't even know if he believed me or not, but the smile seemed to say _something_. "Alright," he said finally after a pause, and a hand landed on my head. "I'll take your word for it, sweetie. But if anything is going on, we're here." I wasn't expecting him to pull me close so that he could press a kiss to my forehead. "I love you, Tomoko-chan, okay?"

My heart skipped a beat from the warmth flooding me. "I-I love you too, Papa."

Mama huffed again, more resigned this time. "Geez, when did I find myself with two loving dorks?" I tried not to tense up as Mama reached over and planted a kiss on my head too, making the air feel all the warmer. "I love you as well, Tomoko-chan!"

If my face wasn't already turning into a furnace, it certainly was now. "M-Mm," was all I could get out, and the mixer continued to beat the cheesecake batter almost obliviously for the appliance it was. "Th-thank you, Papa, Mama."

It took another little while before Mama tapped my shoulder with a crooked smile. "And, dear, I think you went a bit beyond soft peaks in the mixing."

Oh, darn it. I glanced at the mix before the beaten cream proceeded to splash my face. Whoops.

Papa proceeded to fall over onto his back with a THUD and a laugh.

I wish my troubles could've ended with those words alone. It would've made things simpler for once. If only.

* * *

It takes Kei-chan coming back home from her stay in the hospital that Miyako notices something different. For once, it was not her daughter that was sending off worrisome signals — rather, Kei-chan was the happiest she could have been since coming back from the Chunin Exams. Perhaps the talk she had with Namikaze-san helped, or the hugs Miyako gave out soon afterwards. The former samurai could take pride in the latter, at least.

But no. For once, Miyako was worried about her niece. Honorary niece, but niece nonetheless.

Hoshino Tomoko was certainly a civilian girl that was different compared to her other, more oblivious counterparts in the village. It did not make her lose her charm, however, because despite not befriending other civilians her age, the open smiles and music were something to be welcomed. In another time, in another place, perhaps Suzume and her family would have adored the girl. It was a nice thought, but Miyako tried not to think on Suzume as much.

Nonetheless, it was rare that the girl attempted to hide anything. It was true that she was getting better at controlling her chakra, but this was different.

"Good morning, Miyako-bachan! I have cake and music for Kei-chan and Hayate-chan! Is it okay if I can come in?"

Miyako could not recall the last time Tomoko-chan tried to hide her feelings in plain sight, with a smile that certainly could not have fooled anyone. If Miyako did not know any better, it was as if she had traveled back in time, looking towards a younger Judai making that exact same face.

Even with the innocent picnic basket hanging from Tomoko's right wrist, Miyako could not help the apprehension tugging at her nerves. That did not mean making masks were any less easy. It was simple to put on an understanding smile and usher the girl into the house — these kinds of matters meant careful treading, and she still could remember that fifteen-year old red-haired boy, crying in the bushes one winter evening.

It was difficult to forget those days.

Once Tomoko-chan had taken off her sandals and ran as politely as she could into the house, Miyako put her hand on the doorknob before pausing.

Hoshino Hikari, who had previously loomed behind the pianist, waved at her with a shaky smile while taking a step forward. "Hi," she said, sounding more hesitant than her usual nervousness. "Are you free right now, Miyako-chan?"

A quick glance over alerted Miyako to the shakiness of the woman's chakra already.

Oh. So, the problem was not an isolated one then.

"Of course I am, Hikari-chan," Miyako replied coolly, smiling more genuinely this time. The gesture was more than enough to let the violinist relax with a more natural grin. "How about you come in and we can talk while Kei-chan and Tomoko-chan take care of Hayate?"

The sheer speed that was Hikari's eagerness to enter the house afterwards was something Miyako made sure to remember. And hide a few snickers to.

* * *

Unlike her pianist daughter, Miyako found that Hikari was more upfront when it came to her own problems. Along with a long sigh and ducking of her chin into her hand, it was obvious that something was on her mind. "Thank you again, Miyako-chan, for having Tomoko-chan and I over." The smile directed at her was sweet in a way, but Miyako could still sense the hint of thoughtful bitterness to it too.

"It is no problem at all," Miyako makes sure to dole out the tea and set it down for Hikari to take. "Now, what is bothering you?"

Hikari blinked at the tea in question before sighing, louder this time. "I guess it's obvious, huh?"

"Quite."

The violinist smiled wryly this time before taking the tea cup for a small sip. She raised her pointer finger in the air, obviously signaling for a moment, so Miyako waited. Once the cup was back down on the table, Hikari inclined her head. "Tomoko-chan's been odd again lately."

Ah. So she noticed too. "I am guessing this has been going on for some time?"

"Ever since the Chunin Exams have come to pass, actually," Hikari huffed a breath, sounding frustrated before smiling again. "Sorry, Miyako-chan, think I can curse a little?"

"No one is stopping you," Miyako responds, motioning to the teapot nearby with a serene smile in the hopes of calming whatever nerves were making Hikari on edge. The last thing anyone needed was an unwarranted outburst, after all. "The children are all in their shared room, so there is no need to hold back."

Hikari beamed before taking in a breath. Then, in quick succession, she muttered a soft, " _Fuck this nervousness bullshit,_ " before shaking her head and slapping her hands to her cheeks. "Ugh, this just feels so _ridiculous_ to say, but I'm just not sure what exactly to do this time."

Miyako held her breath for the sake of concealing her surprise. This was certainly different. "What do you mean, Hikari?"

"This is the first time that I'm actively aware that something's on that girl's mind," Hikari hid a frustrated snort behind her hand, instead settling for a tired puff of air while crossing her arms and ducking her head. "But for some reason, Tomoko-chan has been covering it up with her usual smiles and sweets, just telling me, 'Not to worry.' It's just—"

Hikari muttered another dark " _Fuck_ ," under her breath before taking the tea cup again to gingerly sip, and Miyako waited. It took only a few more moments for Hikari to drink the last few drops, as she went on to pull the cup away from her mouth with a loud and exasperated huff.

"…I know, Miyako-chan," Hikari said finally, putting her teacup gently back onto the table. The gesture was uncharacteristic considering her upset chakra. "I know that everyone is entitled to their own secrets, and I could tell that Tomoko-chan wasn't lying when she said that she was '75% okay.' But I can't help but feel so goddamn _pathetic_. She's my own _daughter_ , and I don't even know what's on her mind. Or how to help her now. What if something's bothering her again? What if something is troubling her, and she doesn't know how to tell me, or, _hell_ ," Hikari cut herself off with a wave of her hand in the air once more, huffing. "What if she's just _scared_ of telling me? I'll just be a goddamn _sitting duck._ "

Hikari then lowered her head, bangs shadowing her eyes.

A wave of sympathy went over Miyako at that. She did not even have to use her sensing abilities to pinpoint the conflict at hand. No one in the general vicinity could ever forget what happened at Nagareboshi Cafe months ago, after all. "I see," she said finally. "You were never good at trying to look underneath the underneath, Hikari-chan."

A soft and shaky laugh resulted at the statement. "At least I admit it, I guess." Hikari gripped her tea cup a little tighter, and in response, Miyako offered the teapot. It did not take long for the violinist to nod her head at the pot, and Miyako refilled her teacup almost immediately. "But here I am, venting to you." Hikari laughed again, and the sound was sarcastic and self-depreciating. "I'm sorry if it sounds ridiculous."

"Not at all. You clearly need an ear, Hikari-chan, and I am more than willing to provide that." Miyako reached over to touch the violinist's hands, squeezing reassuringly. "Being a parent is difficult. Judai said as much."

"Ah," Hikari said, smiling a bit brighter this time. The pinched, frustrated expression from earlier disappeared with the gesture, and Miyako found herself relaxing at the sight. "Thank you, Miyako-chan, really."

Miyako smiled in return before retracting her hand and returning to her seat. "It is no problem, Hikari-chan. Now, I am guessing that is not the end of the story?"

Hikari blinked, blue eyes going wide for a moment before another, more resigned smile twitched at her lips. "Yes, it's not. I…er," she paused, her eyebrows furrowing in clear hesitation this time before she opened her mouth. "I was just wondering if you could help me in getting Tomoko-chan to open up."

Miyako blinked as Hikari started to turn an embarrassed pink. "Open up as in…?"

"Your tea ceremonies. Or maybe some sword training or meditation," Hikari threw a hand up in the air, waving it around for exaggerated emphasis, and the gesture alone conveyed enough frustration. "I'm not really good for things like that aside from dancing, and those moves were really from traveling _caravans_. Dunno about the violin either, and I highly doubt Tomoko-chan would like an actual piano teacher considering how well she's doing, so…uh," Hikari started turning red. "C-Couldyouhelpmeoutbybeingawesomeandcoolasyouusuallyare?!"

It took only a few seconds for Miyako to separate word from ramble. "I am…awesome and cool?" she prodded.

Hikari made a noise that vaguely resembled a squawking bird before ducking her head. A pause followed. "...It's true," she said sheepishly. "Judai and Wataru both kinda gush over you when it comes to handling the kids."

"I am… _flattered_ ," Miyako concluded slowly, the warmth flooding the room almost instantly with those words. Almost any other response seemed rather inadequate. "Also, bewildered, if I can say as much."

Miyako could barely recall the last time someone was so upfront aside from Wataru. Who else…?

Her thought process was soon interrupted with a surprised laugh on Hikari's part. "Well~" the violinist hummed while inclining her head in Miyako's direction. "That means I need to praise you more often for it to stick in your head now, hm?"

What could only be described as bewildered embarrassment flooded her chest as Miyako tried to cover it up with what could only be described as a ladylike cough. "Th-there is no need to go that far, Hikari-chan."

Hikari snickered while shaking her head. "No can do, Miyako-chan. Friends do this kind of stuff, so you'll have to deal with it~!"

Miyako held back the urge to sigh. This was certainly something else. "Hikari-chan, please."

The teasing smile dropped for a smaller, warmer one as Hikari inclined her head, eyes soft. "Still, Miyako-chan, I really do mean it. You are amazing in your own right, okay?"

Miyako paused before saying anything else, already feeling somewhat flustered at the praise from before. "…Thank you, Hikari-chan. Thank you."

The warm smile in return was sweet enough to reassure some of Miyako's concerns at least.

Now, for the next immediate problem…

* * *

It surprisingly did not take much coaxing for Hikari to return back to the cafe. For once, the woman had demurely backed down, muttering something about, ' _Not going to let Judai handle all the cafe work again,_ ' before heading out the door with a quiet air about her. Miyako did not have much else to comment, because she knew as much as anyone else that thoughts sometimes needed to be expressed alone.

Instead, what Miyako did was check on the children. A peek into Kei-chan and Hayate's shared room reassured some of her concerns, Hayate's own bright smile being a clear sign. Tomoko-chan was giggling at something, probably at some kind of joke Hayate had said before Miyako had opened the door. Kei-chan too, looked happy, but when peeking inside, she immediately turned to meet Miyako's gaze when Tomoko wasn't looking, frowning.

' _Mom, help,_ ' Kei mouthed. ' _Something's wrong with Tomo-chan.'_

Miyako glanced in the pianist's direction before nodding at Kei. ' _Leave it to me._ '

She took a breath. "Tomoko-chan? Could you come here for a moment?"

The pianist stopped, jolting in place for a moment before looking up. Miyako carefully hid any signs of alarm at the clear, unadulterated _shock_ shining in Tomoko's blue eyes. Instead, she waited as Tomoko stood up from her sitting place on the floor. "What is it, Miyako-bachan?"

The words left her reflexively as Miyako put on a small smile. "It is time you learn the art of the tea ceremony."

Kei and Hayate's chakras fluttered in surprise as Tomoko-chan's proceeded to jump. "Eh?" the pianist in question only blinked up at her, confusion clear in her voice.

"You and I need to spend some time together, Tomoko-chan," Miyako elaborated. "Niece and aunt."

Hayate looked like he wanted to say something if not for his sister glancing at him. Once Miyako directed a soft stare in his direction too, the boy understood and immediately closed his mouth. Tomoko-chan, meanwhile, appeared unaware of this entire silent interaction, only ducking her head while fidgeting nervously.

"…I won't be bothering you?" Tomoko said finally.

Miyako immediately held back the urge to sigh and instead smiled, mask of samurai politeness already sliding into place. "Far from it. I need someone to listen for a little, perhaps. Could you do that for me, Tomoko-chan?"

That did it. With a small jump of her chakra, Tomoko looked up at her with wide and surprised eyes before sparkles of some sort seemed to shine in them. The sparkles themselves were not all that bright, only dim in the face of the other emotions clearly showing on the girl's face, but they were still _hopeful_. Tomoko then nodded, inhaling deeply. "…Okay. I can do that, Miyako-bachan."

Miyako smiled again before offering her hand. It did not take long for Tomoko to take it.

* * *

It only took about half an hour for Miyako to notice Tomoko-chan's increasing tension. The tea ceremony itself was nothing new, so the seiza position was nothing unfamiliar to Miyako herself. The teachings were simple, and her new student was taking it in like a sponge, thankfully. It was an appreciated contrast to Kei-chan, who unfortunately fell asleep in their first attempt. Here, Tomoko-chan was clearly trying to listen closely with as much of a polite manner as possible. That is, in spite of her own stiff position.

Miyako could not help but wonder if Hikari ever attempted the same position in the past, because at least _her_ seiza did not scream stiffness like her daughter. Perhaps it was Tomoko-chan's lax upbringing, for lack of better words, or Judai's own carefree demeanor, but nonetheless. Tomoko-chan certainly looked like she was about to fall over at any moment, in spite of the curious smile on her face.

Miyako swirled the tea in the black tea bowl with her whisk one more time before lowering her hands. "We can take a break now, Tomoko-chan."

As soon as the announcement was said, the girl immediately relaxed her shoulders. "O-Oh," she commented, and then proceeded to fall over on her right side with an expected FWUMP on the tatami mats. "… _Ow_ ," Tomoko said simply, a hand reaching over to rub her left calf. "S-Sorry, Miyako-bachan, I think my legs fell asleep…" Her voice then cracked. " _Ow…_ "

Miyako hid a small snicker with her yukata sleeve. "The secret to not losing blood flow is chakra control, Tomoko-chan."

The pianist pouted, sitting up to rub her legs one more time before settling into a more relaxed seated position on her cushion, white summer dress pooling to cover her knees. "I-I'm working on that, Miyako-bachan." With that remark, Miyako could easily see the chakra flow as Tomoko-chan sighed. That was good enough proof. "I'm working on that."

Miyako slides the tea towards her before saying it. There probably would not be a better time. "Now, what is bothering you, Tomoko-chan?"

Tomoko immediately stilled, looking between both her and the tea, mouth gaping open. She clearly was shocked, not expecting the query at all, and Miyako pushed forward. "I do not mean to put you out into the open, Tomoko-chan, but I have noticed you are not being yourself. I already installed a privacy seal on the door behind you, so you can speak your mind. What is troubling you?"

Those blue eyes widen again, and Miyako could only vaguely place a feeling of ' _Oh no_ ' on the look before Tomoko-chan ducks her head. "…it sounded selfish in my head," she proceeded to say, and her chakra already was starting to swirl, almost uncertain with its movements. Tomoko-chan looked up at her, and Miyako hid any sign of growing horror at the shine of what vaguely looked like tears in the blue eyes. "Was I that obvious to read?"

Miyako held back a sigh to instead smile and gesture towards the tea. "Quite," she said, making sure to keep her voice soft for not panicking her niece further. "Do you want to talk, Tomoko-chan? To vent?"

The pianist took on a more unsure face, hands fidgeting in her lap. She swallowed before glancing away, hair shading her eyes. "…Will this be a trouble for you, Miyako-bachan? Will you…be okay with me speaking my mind?"

_Oh, Tomoko-chan._

"This will not be any trouble." The reply comes out sharper than Miyako intended, but it still does its job of grabbing the girl's attention. "Tomoko-chan, you are my _niece_. I care about you. It is natural that I only want to know if there is anything I can do to make you feel better." She then paused, considering her next words. "I am more than alright with you venting."

The shininess in Tomoko's eyes then started to form tears as Tomoko stared at her for a few more moments, gaping. Her shoulders shook, and then she wiped at her eyes with her right hand, taking in a breath before looking up. "I-I'm sorry, Miyako-bachan. About this. About…" the girl choked while gesturing to the room, shrugging helplessly. "About all this."

"Tomoko-chan, I do not understand." Miyako does, however, in some ways thanks to her chakra sensing. That rainbow, flickering in clear nervousness, is obvious even without reading the expression her niece is making. She chose not to mention it however, instead waiting. "Why are you apologizing?"

"For…" Tomoko gestured helplessly again, flapping her right hand in the air almost like a bird. The resemblance to Hikari and Judai both was becoming apparent very quickly. "For being negative. For worrying you. For being just plain _weird._ " She then proceeded to turn pink and went on to cover her face with her hands, shaking her head vigorously. " _Aaaaah_ , I don't know how to start! This feels really embarrassing, and I'm glad that you're open to hearing me out, Miyako-bachan, but I don't know if this is just really selfish or unbelievable!"

Miyako hid a small smile behind her sleeve. At least Tomoko-chan was opening up. "Small steps may be the key, Tomoko-chan. Small steps."

Between the cracks in her fingers, Miyako could make out Tomoko-chan's curious blue eyes. "O-Okay," was the muffled answer, and then Tomoko lowered her hands to shrink into herself.

The next statement was soft, but it was easy to make out thanks to the old samurai ways.

"Miyako-bachan, have you…have you ever got the feeling that you're not doing enough? That you're standing by, and just letting things happen? Even if you have the choice to do so much more? Even in a world that doesn't seem to accept you?"

_Oh dear._

"…Is this about Nagareboshi Cafe, Tomoko-chan?" Miyako makes sure to say it carefully, softly like her mother used to for her. "About Kei-chan and Team Minato?"

Tomoko kept her face facing downwards, her only response being a nod.

Miyako pursued her lips. Her niece was withdrawing again, and that was not a good sign. "Tomoko-chan, can you come here?"

The pianist looked up, and tears were clearly bubbling in those blue eyes again. Tomoko nodded once more, weaker this time, before she slowly got up from her cushion to scoot past the unattended tea bowl and into reaching distance. "L-Like this?"

Miyako reached over, and Tomoko-chan only let out a squeak of surprise once she was enveloped in a hug. It was the least Miyako could do. She took a breath. "…To your query, yes," she said honestly, and was not shocked at Tomoko's surprised wiggling. "In some ways, the sensation could be comforting. Spending too much time in motion or in place can result in restlessness…or perhaps something less encouraging. Do you wish to act, Tomoko-chan?"

The girl stilled once more, but this time it took only a second for her to relax and lean against Miyako's shoulder. "I do," she said, voice cracking. Despite the hesitance, Miyako took it as a sign that the metaphorical doors were opening again. "But I don't know what exactly _to_ do. And these thoughts just seem too selfish. Too self-centered." Tomoko-chan shifted back and forth while still leaning against Miyako's side, almost as if she was debating with herself. "Like I'm not taking in the other perspective, and that worries me since everyone else seems to say as much…"

_Everyone else?_

Miyako inhaled softly while squeezing her niece's shoulders. The tea could wait for later. "Is the perspective you are waiting for just another viewpoint, or permission to proceed? Because I can certainly volunteer to at least hear you out, in as vague terms as you like." She then paused, considering her words before continuing. The least she could do was not leave a bad memory on Tomoko-chan's mind. "…The death of a good plan is sometimes the pursuit of a perfect one."

"It's just…" Tomoko trailed off, wiping at her eyes again with her hands. A hiccup followed. "I-I'm just not _sure_ anymore. I think I'm doing enough, and then there's the occasional angry crowd when I'm coming out of the hospital with Rin-chan."

_What?_

Miyako carefully hid her anger, instead squeezing Tomoko's shoulders with her hand.

The pianist thankfully took the gesture as a sign to relax further against Miyako's side. "I-It's always the same people. The same people who hated what Sakumo-jichan did…and I just don't know what to do in front of them. I think I'm doing enough, and then they claim how I'm just as much of a traitor as _Sakumo-jichan_ , when I know we all were doing our best…"

_**What?** _

Tomoko-chan took a deep breath. "And then after seeing the _Chunin Exams_ and how everyone was hurt—" A sniffle cut through Tomoko's words as she took a second to wipe at her eyes. "I'm just not sure how to go on, and then I start questioning, ' _What's the point,'_ and it gets to me because I don't want to bother anyone…"

It took a few more moments for Miyako to properly respond. The anger rolling through her veins was nothing to laugh at, and she forced herself to calm down. Emitting killing intent now would do nothing to help the situation. Nor would it calm her niece down. "…And you have not spoken to either of your parents about this."

Tomoko shuddered again, whimpering before nodding timidly. "I-I was just scared because Mama and Papa are both doing their best. Sakumo-jichan and Kakashi too." She huffed an exasperated, tired breath. "D-Don't get me wrong, Miyako-bachan, I-I'm happy because everyone's _here_ , I get to spend time with Kei and Hayate, but then I start feeling this way, and then I just can't help but feel selfish and _thoughtless_ like those people say I am…" Tomoko then covered her face with her hands, pulling away from the hug to shake her head furiously. "I-I just wanted to help people, to help Team Minato too…but now I just don't _know_ anymore."

The last sentence was a soft, muttered one, but Miyako still heard it. "D-Do I have the right to be selfish?"

Something in Miyako proceeded to snap. "I find that the 'people' doing the 'saying' are never as clever, warm-hearted, or generous as they think they are." She gently patted her niece's hair. "Tell me, does this crowd of ingrates appear at predictable times and places?"

There was another soft sniff. Tomoko-chan did not look up. "Usually in a clearing at least t-two blocks away from the cafe. Too far away for Mama or Papa to notice."

"I see." Miyako smoothed Tomoko's hair, teasing out any stray knots from all the shaking while silently calculating the distance between home and that clearing. It was not far, and considering it was only a little past noon, the crowd would most likely be the largest possible group past dinner time. Miyako considered. "If it would be appropriate, could I walk you home…in about a few hours? I believe I have several thoughts on my mind and a pressing need to express them."

Tomoko stilled again, and even without raising her head, Miyako could feel the palpable shock. She lowered her voice to a soft and comforting tone while keeping her rage at bay. "If it would be acceptable, I would like to use a Transformation ninjutsu to give them a piece of my mind in a way they will not forget."

That did it. Tomoko-chan gave a small start of shock against Miyako's side before looking up from her hands with surprised blue eyes, tear stains already at the edges of her cheeks. "I-I don't mind," she squeaked, "But…but you're not angry, Miyako-bachan?"

 _At me?_ Her chakra seemed to add.

Miyako immediately shook her head. "Not at you, Tomoko-chan." She squeezed her niece tighter in the hug, carefully masking her next words with a sharp exhale of breath. Tomoko-chan did not need to hear them. "Treating a child in such a way…Utterly despicable."

Tomoko-chan's chakra did not give off any indication that she heard the comment, but it nonetheless jumped. Happiness, relief, and shock was what Miyako could piece together from the motion. "O-Oh," she said, and then she was hugging Miyako back. Miyako did not mind the tight grip, only reciprocating in kind with as much warmth as she could muster. "Th-thank you, Miyako-bachan," Tomoko sniffled again. "I-I just thought that I was being selfish, and that I needed to do this on my own. A-And, after the Chunin Exams, everybody was hurt, so I couldn't tell them…" She shuddered. "It…it just felt like a huge, gigantic _mess._ "

Miyako made sure to keep her voice mild while replying. Expressing her inward thoughts on _what_ , or perhaps _who_ , had made her niece this way would not help anything. "It is, and was. But I have spoken to Namikaze-san, and the incident will not be repeated."

Tomoko shuddered again, chakra floating in a similar gesture of what registered as 'relief' before she tightened the hug. It quite literally felt like the girl was making a burrow for herself in Miyako's yukata, her bangs being the only visible part of her face from the specific angle. "Th-thank you, Miyako-bachan." The voice this time was high-pitched, honest with every word. "I-I just can't help but feel like this, worrying all the time, and the fact that I can't do _anything_ just gets to me because I love Kei-chan, Obito, and Rin-chan so much…"

Miyako patted her niece's head again. "I understand," she said sincerely. "But Tomoko-chan, there is nothing wrong in feeling that way. Or to vent when necessary." She considered her next words while brushing out a large tangle. "There is no weakness in reaching out for help. Or for there to be any 'selfishness' when you need to care for yourself."

Tomoko's shaking slowed, and her grip on Miyako's yukata loosened. It was not enough to let go of the hug, but rather like the girl was thinking on the words. "Tomoko-chan, you care greatly for the people around you. That in itself is a strength." Miyako patted her niece's head once more while smiling. "But it does not amount to anything if it _hurts_ you, and if you cannot find a place to express your troubles. Hiding your thoughts will only result in others worrying about you."

Miyako knew that last lesson better than anyone else.

"…Ah," was the small reply.

Miyako brushed through her niece's hair with the same hand while keeping her close to her side. "It is alright to care for others, but it is also important to remember to care for yourself." She took a breath. "And, if it is needed, you are allowed to talk to others. To me, to Kei-chan, to anyone you would like." Tomoko stilled once more, and Miyako squeezed her niece's shoulders in the hopes of easing her shock. "Love is not only a one-sided endeavor, Tomoko-chan. You can rely on others just as much as they can rely on you. You should not be required to give up all of yourself to someone else in the name of 'help.'"

Miyako bit back a remark about a certain rowdy group of civilians in question. Her point was said, so there was no need to elaborate further.

Tomoko-chan had finally stopped sniffling, and the wetness of Miyako's yukata in turn had started to subside. The grip on her yukata loosened enough for the girl's arms to hang loosely around Miyako's waist, and there was a pause. "…I didn't think about it like that," Tomoko said finally, pure honesty and wonder dripping from each word. "Okay. Then…" an audible gulp followed, "Miyako-bachan?"

Miyako inclined her head just as Tomoko-chan raised her head from the shoulder of her yukata. "Could…" the girl flushed an embarrassed pink as she fidgeted. "Could I be a bit selfish in asking if you could style my hair? Before you have to take me home?"

Miyako could not help the warm smile creeping up her face as she squeezed her niece once more. If there was a time to melt, as Wataru might say, this may as well be it. "It is not selfish at all, Tomoko-chan," she said warmly. "Just let me go and get a hairbrush for you."

Cleaning up the tea did not take much time. In turn, it was almost enjoyable to look back at all of the brushes kept in her storage while tidying, and Miyako had to force herself to not stare at each one before picking a small red comb for her niece's request. Simple was said to 'do the trick,' or so Wataru would claim. The following activity then took about another hour, passing almost like eternity thanks to the calm that came with hair brushing. It was comfortable. It was safe.

Unsurprisingly, it took only 15 minutes of hair styling for Tomoko-chan to doze off. The sweet relaxed smile on her sleeping face said everything, and Miyako had to hide yet another snicker at the drool hanging from the corner of the girl's mouth.

"Oh, Hikari, Judai," Miyako mused quietly, weaving some of Tomoko's black hair into a small braid. "Your daughter has too big of a heart."

She held back a sigh.

Tomoko-chan only continued to snooze away.

* * *

Hitoshi Natsumi was prepared. A lighter was in her pocket, a wooden stake was in her hand, and plenty of water was in nearby storage in case of yelling.

This time, for sure. That girl would have to listen.

Killing was not an option, despite how much she wanted it, but intimidation was something.

There was only so much of her husband's absence she could take before something else snapped. The house was too empty. Too lonely.

She couldn't help but miss Mamoru.

It had to be that girl's fault. Why did she have to interfere? Why did she have to poke her nose in a place where kids shouldn't be? This was supposed to be a place for adults. Konoha was supposed to be a place to be _free._ Kids should be playing in the playground, oblivious. They shouldn't be there, or anywhere at all, and playing the victim all the time.

No wonder she hated kids.

"Ready?" she asked, turning to her associates. These villagers were nice enough, carrying stakes of their own, and with their casual attire of black civilian clothes to blend into the background, no one would question otherwise. And, if that girl started crying and making a scene, they could at least take a page from the ninja books and bolt before authorities could get there.

It was perfect.

Everyone nodded, some with wide grins on their faces while others had faces made of stone. It was enough. Natsumi had support.

The sun was already starting to set, and, of course, those same small sandals were coming by again.

"She's going to listen to us this time…" Natsumi couldn't help but grin herself as she pulled out her lighter, flicking it. The flame burned brightly in the darkness of the alleyway, almost reassuringly. Like she was doing the right thing. "It'll teach her not to be nosy…"

Natsumi only took one step out into the street before freezing.

The flame on her lighter blew out without any wind passing.

The associates behind her started to gasp and gulp, almost as if they were fish trying to find air in a place with no ocean.

Everything felt cold. She couldn't move. Why, _why couldn't she move, this was supposed to be another simple stake-out and scare—_

"Hello," a calm voice spoke out, and Natsumi was already feeling _something_ starting to pool at her feet. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I merely stopped by to see the ingrates who would have the nerve to bother my niece."

Natsumi tried to cough, only to feel her throat close with a tight shudder. The figure stepping out from the opposing street was nothing she had ever seen. A dark shadow, illuminated only by the small rays of setting twilight, holding a—a—

"Now, I must let you know." The figure adjusted their left hand, and the large and clear _sword_ sparkled threateningly. "There is only so much shouting you can do before you tread the line between unsolicited harassment and inflicting trauma towards a _child_." Shadowy fingers tilted what looked like rough skin of the sword hilt in Natsumi's direction, and she gulped. "Remember this lesson well."

Once the shadow walked one step closer, Natsumi was already feeling something dark and smelly in her pants.

Someone in the back screamed.

* * *

Nearby, at Nagareboshi Cafe, Hikari paused in placing her violin bow against the strings, looking up at her sleepy yet _smiling_ daughter coming in through the front doors before shrugging.

"Thanks, Miyako-chan," was the quiet mutter.

* * *

Two months later…

' _Vy-chan, you can rely on me too, y'know.'_

I tried to shake the memory out of my head. It had only been nine years, but to hear _Josh's_ voice was like I was Vy all over again, and I didn't know what to make of it.

Today marked the first day in a long while that my dreams of the past didn't turn into nightmares.

Maybe it was thanks to Miyako-bachan that I've been sleeping easier. Having dreamless nights, I mean, until today. How she emphasized that I needed to help myself before anyone else. It was a slow process, considering that Vy herself was a people-pleaser to her very core, but another life could certainly change things. Hisako was a great help in sorting priorities.

And, well. Speaking of the devil — once my high school had disappeared for the beginnings of the rising sun, Hisako was prodding me awake.

 **Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, it's 4.** Her voice was soft and motherly in spite of the insistent pokes. **We need to get up and finish the Portal Cake for Obito, remember?**

Oh. Right. Today was February 10th. Obito's tenth birthday. He was going on full double-digits.

To be honest, this was really the first time I was going out to make anything for a friend when it came to birthdays. Obito liked sweets, sure, but a triple-layer chocolate cake covered with maraschino cherries, matching chocolate frosting and chocolate chips, _and_ coconut-pecan frosting?

 **This will be** _ **diabetes**_ **if this was for anyone else~** Hisako crowed loudly on the matter. **Thank you, ninja metabolism! The cake is** _ **not**_ **a lie, so take that, GLaDOS!**

And _of course_ Hisako would capitalize on calling out a fictional AI.

I could still remember Kakashi's look of horror when I had bought all the ingredients just yesterday and started melting the chocolate chips. Maaaaybe that explained his leaving Obito's gift on the kitchen table and basically being MIA.

We had everything to make the Portal Cake, thankfully. All that was left was baking each layer cake and setting up. It was going to be messy, but I had to do something. Obito and the others would be waking up at Kei's house at around 7, so that gave me three hours to prepare and come in with the surprise.

Rin-chan and Kei were _very_ good at keeping secrets, or so I had seen. Not to mention, take care of any small emotional mishaps _if_ they happened. I could bet on them.

Getting up was still somewhat of a pain. Brushing my teeth, putting on a simple light blue blouse and lavender skirt to go around for the day, and then trying to tie up my hair in whatever small ponytail I could make from my short hair, avoiding any tangles with the apron straps. Being in the kitchen meant avoiding hair, because anything like that in the food only equaled trouble.

It was the little things. Those little things that reminded me that I was a civilian, and not a ninja.

Then, a hand was catching mine, taking the hairband off my fingers. "Tomoko-chan, not like that. Just a minute." Another hand was then taking my hair, teasing it almost with the soft touch before brushing through it. It was comforting, so I didn't tense when my hair was tugged and tied up in a neater ponytail and touching behind my head resulted in that same hand tickling mine.

I turned around to catch Mama's warm blue eyes. "Hi, sweetie," she said softly. Her own, longer black ponytail brushed her shoulders while she was kneeling down to look at me, and she smiled. "Are you going to be baking again now?"

"A cake for Obito, Mama," I said back, honestly without any thought behind them. "I think I'm fully okay now, so I can do it."

It was the truth, and I was glad to feel my heart lighten at how I was telling the full truth.

I couldn't be a ninja. But that didn't mean I couldn't remind those same group of ninja of the little things. Of the small, simple, important things.

Mama only inclined her head, staring at me with an inquisitive look in her eye before she sighed. "Alright," she let out, the word coming off almost in a huff with how her voice turned somewhat hard in the admonishment. At least, I think it was one. "Then, Tomoko-chan," Mama rested her hand on my head, fingers already threading through some stray strands of my hair. Her smile this time was exasperated and somewhat put-off, but it was still reassuring. "Can I help you out?"

The smile was already coming up on my face as Hisako cheered. "Mm," I nodded immediately. "If you don't mind me rambling and coming to you more often for help, Mama. Or…" I ended up scratching my cheek from sheepishness at the thought. "If you don't mind me just relying on you more. In general, I mean."

That was all I got out before Mama's eyes sparkled. She let out a soft, happy squee and proceeded to go on and wrap her arms around my waist in a huge bear hug. Then Hisako was mentally hugging me too, and that was that.

Honesty really does pay off after all.

* * *

Obito wasn't really sure what to make of the day. It was his birthday, yeah, but it was the first time he had so many _people_ together to celebrate it with him.

Rin solidified the feelings bubbling in his chest with one firm statement.

"Then you have to get _used_ to it, Obito. Because me and Kei-senpai and Tomoko-chan and Miyako-san and Hayate-chan…we're never going to leave you alone."

It wasn't a bad idea.

Getting a hug from Miyako-san was nice too, despite his own embarrassment, and he was with his precious people on his day.

It was a good day.

He wasn't expecting the doorbell to ring in the middle of Miyako-san cooking something. Hayate and Iruka paused in their roughhousing, looking up with curious eyes.

"Huh?" Obito said simply, before turning to Kei. Kei and Rin were apparently sharing a silent conversation, or _something he wasn't aware of_ , darn, before looking at him with shared smiles. Kei's was more crooked, but it was something.

"Obito, there's someone at the door. Think you can get them?" Kei hid a snicker at the last part, and Obito couldn't help his raised eyebrow before getting up from his seat and heading towards the location in question.

The doorbell rang once again in succession, almost waiting for someone.

"Okay, okay, we're coming!" Obito yelled back at it, taking note of the trailing Hayate and Iruka behind him before he grasped the doorknob and pulled.

He was not expecting the large chocolate _cake_. There were chocolate chips, cherries, and a single lit candle, burning brightly as he gaped.

"WHOA!" Hayate and Iruka gasped in unison behind him.

The cake then moved, going to…to _Hikari-san_ as a beaming Tomoko-chan came into view with the movement. Her hands were behind her back, purple skirt swishing as she opened her mouth. "Happy birthday to you~" the melody was as sweet as the cake she originally carried. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Obitoooo~" Tomoko-chan inclined her head with a larger smile while extending the last syllable of his name. "Happy birthday to you~!"

She moved her hands forward and was already brandishing a large blue _present box_ with a clashing orange bow by the time she finished. A smaller, green box sat on top of the orange ribbon bow, having a white ribbon, but it was still _gifts._ "I bring a triple-layer chocolate cake with cherries and coconut-pecan frosting!" Which was emphasized with Hikari-san raising up the cake as if it was some kind of deity. "Along with gifts from both me _and_ Kakashi, since he didn't really feel like coming, so—"

Obito was already getting dust in his eyes once Tomoko-chan's smile slid off her face. "O-Obito?!" Panic flooded her originally happy expression as she fumbled with the presents in her hands, glancing between both him and Hikari-san, and _goddammit_ , Obito did not mean to cry for the _second_ time today. "Oh no, please don't cry! Oh dear, ohdear, ohdear," was all he could hear before Tomoko-chan lunged forward to hug him, and then Obito was laughing.

He was already hugging her back with as much force as he could muster, and, well, his shoulder was still healing, but screw it!

"W-WAH! Obito!" Tomoko-chan squealed, and even when carried in the air, her blue eyes were bright while looking at him. From the angle, they…they were shining, huh? "Y-Your shoulder!"

"Shoulder, smoulder, pah!" Obito continued to laugh anyways, shaking the tears away from his eyes while putting her down. When was the last time he had a _birthday cake_? "Just, just, Tomo-chan, you're _awesome!_ "

The pianist proceeded to flush a dark red at the compliment, ducking her head while squeaking out a surprised, "T-Tomo-chan?"

Whoops. "Uh," Obito said, trying to ignore Hayate and Iruka snickering behind him. "Well, Kei does call you that a lot, and it has a nice ring to it, so…?"

"Pffff." The red receded to what looked like an amused pink on Tomoko's face as she giggled into her free hand. "Only for you, Rin-chan, and Kei, Obito. Only for you three."

Obito inclined his head at her before snickering too. "Tomo-chan it is!" And hugs were always nice to bask in.

"Hey, hey!" Hayate piped in, literally sticking his head past Obito's good arm to be in the middle of the hug, pouting. "What about me, Tomoko-nee?!"

Behind her, Hikari-san was starting to laugh while trying to balance the cake. Tomoko herself shrugged, patting Hayate's head while smiling. "If you want, Haa-chan, 'Tomo-nee' is fine too." She glanced at a lingering Iruka with an equally large smile. "You too, Iruka-kun, okay?"

Iruka looked up and grinned.

That was apparently the cue for everyone to start coming in. Kei, Rin-chan, Iruka, and Hayate, they all joined in what was apparently becoming _the_ group hug, and Tomoko only squawked from being stuck in the middle. Kei was the closet of the group, flanking Obito's injured side, while Rin was a bit more on the outer layer, covering the kids, but it was still a level of closeness that Obito didn't know he _needed._ Tomoko-chan on the other hand — she waved the presents in the air with her occupied hand, gaping. "H-Hey, what's with the pile?! We have cake, everyone! Let's go in and enjoy it in honor of Obi's birthday! It's kinda…" she paused, sweating a little. Her voice turned high-pitched with the last cry. "It's kinda a bit _cramped_ in here?!"

"Tomo-chan, just let us have a moment!" Rin beamed back, and then there was a pinching hand—

Tomoko let out a loud squeal of protest before breaking out of the hug and proceeding to run into the Gekkō household, white hair ribbon trailing after her. "Wh-Who _tickled_ me~?!"

Kei raised that very same pinch-y hand, grinning all the while. "Knew we needed to do that at least once," she said triumphantly.

"Kei-chan, what did you do?" Miyako called out from the kitchen, Tomoko-chan's squeal fading into the distance.

"Nothing, Mom!"

Obito laughed. An eye for an eye, a nickname for a nickname. 'Obi'…it sounded nice.

Hikari-san only gave him a warm smile that reflected her daughter before offering the cake.

"Happy birthday, Obito-kun. Let's head inside and enjoy your day, okay?"

It was the start of another year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: (shrugs) Inspiration this time came from leftover finals anxiety, CYB's first Intermission, the B-Plot chapter simply titled "Missing Scene: Tomoe Uesugi", and sitting at my desk with the curtains drawn to have a dark atmosphere.
> 
> A lot of this chapter, I feel like, is really building up emotions that might have been left out in CP with Tomoko's original adventure, as well as filling in time that led to the first CYB Intermission. Not everything is peaceful in time-skips, and emotions are just as valid to cover before we go onto the next big Plot thing. Character development, yo. And cleaning up some loose ends in my opinion.
> 
> As always, a warm thanks to Lang for writing CYB in the first place and being my friend; and a warm mention to Os, since their presence throughout this summer's beginnings has rekindled a lot of my previous writing speeds.
> 
> This is T signing out to write more of CP and Chapter 19 of S&S. See you all then.
> 
> Edit (Jun 21, 2018): And darn, forgot to change some dialogue and add a classic Hisako jab. It's fixed now.


	19. Level Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Kyle Landry's original piano composition titled Kokoro no Jutsu, or "Heart Technique" if you wanted the literal translation. Since, once again, Kyle delivered in a piece that really fits the tone I wanted to set for this chapter.
> 
> An alternative theme, though, I recommend is Joe Hisaishi's own original piece titled Asian Dream. This is less representative of Tomoko and more of the other characters starring in S&S, and since the song does deliver so much in its piano-cello ensemble, why not?
> 
> Now. It is well about time to commence something I wish I covered in CP. Especially after the almost universally-bad Satoru Arc, as reviewers put it. Please enjoy!
> 
> Warnings for crude language and some cursing.

_Chapter 19: Level Up_

I freely admit. Fighting is not my strongest suit. Hell, when going by Hisako's opinion…

**I know you want to be a Pacifist, dear, but not everyone in the world is willing to come for all sunshine and rainbows. People can be dark, spiteful, and overall just sticks in the mud when it comes to** _**any** _ **thought of world peace.**

Yeaaaaaah, that about summed up my situation.

Hisako raised a hand. **Example!** _ **Danzo.**_

_Brrrrrr, really, Hisako?_

**Yes, really. Oh, and Kei's looking your way again.**

_What?_ I shook my head to get back to reality and looked up only to catch my reincarnation buddy's questioning stare. Huh?

"Kei?"

 **We're in the cafe on a break day, you're at the piano, she's at the customer's seat, and I have** _ **no**_ **clue what she's thinking of right now.** Hisako filled in for me. **Can I at least say Kei is a weird dork?**

_Hisako…_

**You're** _ **both**_ **dorks,** she amended very quickly. **Adorable dorks, but** _ **dorks.**_

_I'm surprised you didn't add Kakashi and our other friends into the group._

**Well, they're not** _ **here**_ **now, are they?**

I gave her the point at that. Kakashi was out with Sakumo-jichan doing god knows what, so I was left in the dark. But, back to reality.

As a reply, Kei only raised her hand and poked my forehead through my bangs, hard enough to the point of pushing me back. I think I could be allowed a single, "Ack!" The sensation quickly faded as I rubbed my head, trying not to frown. "Kei?"

"Tomo-chan, you need to learn how to defend yourself," she said flatly.

I couldn't help it. I blinked, glanced between her and the cafe around us, before meeting her stare with a very shocked and squeaky, " _Wh-what?_ "

Kei raised her other hand with a clear intent of, 'Don't ramble,' with the gesture, sighing. "Tomo-chan, think about it." Her smile this time was wry, almost sad in a way. "I'm not always going to be around to protect you."

My blood felt like it froze with those words. "Kei…"

Kei puffed a tired breath while leaning back against her chair. "It really sucks to admit it, don't get me wrong." She crossed her arms while turning her head away, looking rather defiant with how her body language was putting it. "But I still got my ass kicked by _Hinata's mom_ in the past Exams, and if that's not a sign to train my ass off, I don't know what is."

**…Should we interject with a nice Friendship Speech, oooooor?**

_Hisako, drop it. We're not going to interrupt, even if I want to know about this whole 'Hinata's mom' thing._

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat as best as I could. The lightbulb was already shining like a beacon in my head. "…So, you're worried about me having security while you're 'training your ass' off?"

Kei grinned again with a measly shrug. "Basically that!"

I couldn't help the sudden question. "So, do I have permission to piano-desk myself, or should I just go along with this?"

My reincarnation buddy frowned at me. "You don't really have that much choice. I got everyone to sign off on it already."

"…E-Everyone?" I ended up squeaking.

Hisako summed it up pretty well for me. **Who is this '** ** _everyone_ ' ****you speak of?! Everyone as in, family, friends, civilians that** _ **don't**_ **actively** **hate us?!** _ **You**_ **?!**

I did my best to ignore her.

Kei didn't give off any indication that she noticed my Nobody's outburst, exhaling before continuing. From the way she was sitting, I could've pegged her as nonchalant. "Turns out a lot of people really, really want to make sure you're gonna be okay. And most of us are pretty focused on physical safety."

 **…Okay, I don't know whether we should be honored or terrified.** Hisako said. **Should we be both? Or one or the other? Because I could've sworn Kei's missing something in there…**

 _Hisako._ Outwardly, I took in a deep breath. I was really hoping that I wasn't signing my physical death warrant with this like how Hisako was claiming. "…okay. You kinda got me at…physical safety."

Sure, Hitoshi Natsumi-san and her… 'cronies,' as Hisako aptly put them, may have disappeared after my talk with Miyako-bachan two months ago, but the wayward stares _still_ bleeding into my back every now and then were kinda hard to _keep_ ignoring.

Kei went on with a shrug of her shoulders. "So, we're gonna make sure you know how to defend yourself."

I admit, there was a huge part of me that wanted to give Hisako some leniency in taking over my body, only for a moment, just to put her opinion in for Kei to hear. Because, really, to hear your own Nobody _seriously_ say, **Rest in Peace** , with a matching prayer — it's not that encouraging. Instead, I held back the sigh in my throat. "…As long as it doesn't _stop your training_ , I'll take it."

**I hope you really do Rest in Peace, dear, I really do…**

My eyebrow was already starting to twitch. Honesty it is, because with this much going on with my Nobody, I didn't know how much more I could handle without physically venting _somehow._ "Hisako is apparently saying, 'Rest in Peace' now though, and I have no clue what to make of it."

Kei gave me a funny look. "Gai might be involved."

Oh dear _lord._ "Yeah," I said flatly, trying not to scream into the heavens because _why_. "I'll _try_ not to die."

Kei rolled her eyes before shrugging. "Remember: no pain, no gain." She paused, and when she turned back to me, the small grin on her face said everything. "I'm just messing with you. He's involved because he fights barehanded, and most of the rest of us use weapons."

Hisako then started pulling out _incense and prayer candles_ with lots of unintelligible curses, so I immediately pulled a mental curtain on _that_. "Kinda feels like you're messing with _Hisako_ more than me. She…" I trailed off, because trying to find words to describe my other self was suddenly becoming hard to find in this situation. "Well, uh…"

'Huh?' could be a good way to describe Kei's current expression right now, and I couldn't help but cower a little in front of her questioning stare. "What, Tomo-chan?"

"Um…"

**Please, Buddha, God,** _**whatever** _ **! Please don't let my charge die! She's sweet, innocent, hasn't had her first kiss in this life yet, and even the idea of sex hasn't registered in her head —**

My face was already on fire at the last part. _HISAKO!_

I tried to slam the mental door as loud as I could, only to hear my Nobody continue praying loudly. Dear goodness. This was getting ridiculous. To Kei's unspoken question, I fumbled with my hands, trying to avoid hitting her with said hands. Thank god it wasn't a work day and I wasn't wearing my usual kimono dress. Or this would be bad. "Hisako's…kinda cursing up a storm. Praying. Something. She's suspecting you. Or something. I don't know…!" With what little modesty I had left, I ended up shrugging helplessly in the mere _hopes_ Kei could not sense the mess my chakra was making right now from the second-hand embarrassment. "But I do appreciate all this!"

Kei gave me a flat stare. "…Are you done having an argument with yourself?"

 _Oh, fuck._ She did notice. "Um, er." My heart was beating hard as my face was really starting to feel like an oven. "Wh-where's the nearest fire incinerator~?"

Thank god for privacy seals, as Kei gave me an incredulous face. "You _lost_ an argument with yourself?"

I couldn't help it. I ended up squeaking more while covering up my face with my hands, because _goddamn_ this was embarrassing. Darn it, Hisako! "You realize I'm sex-repulsed and an introvert _and_ my Nobody is the most adventurous, rambunctious, _ridiculous_ person I could ever have in my head? She's _worse_ than you!"

Thankfully, Hisako wasn't _acephobic_ , since that last thought of hers was immediately shut down for some other unintelligible prayer, but I just didn't know what to do with her sometimes.

Without looking up, I knew my reincarnation buddy was rendered speechless. There was a long pause before Kei sighed. "…Hoo boy," she went.

I tried not to sigh myself. I just messed up again. "N-No offense, Kei."

"None taken," she replied in the same even tone. "But, I hope you can still say you can 'appreciate' all this in a few hours from now, because the first thing we're gonna be doing is learning how to fall."

Hisako's loud praying immediately stopped with a very panicked screech.

My face must have said something since Kei immediately raised a hand. "Not off a _roof_ or anything. Just like. In general." She paused while lowering her hand. "Unless you want to add parkour to the to-do list."

 **Not that it wouldn't be** _ **awesome**_ **…** Hisako added sheepishly. **But—**

"Am I _allowed_ to ask what's on the regime?" I put in, not letting her finish, because after the previous prayer thing? I think I have every right to be suspicious of Hisako. At least, a little bit. "Or should I expect ninja surprises a la Canon Kakashi trolling? Because knowing _you_ …"

And yes, I was staring suspiciously at Kei too. Blame me as much as you want.

Even if Kei is my reincarnation buddy, she's _still_ a ninja, and all ninja are diabolical. In some way or another. Don't push me on this.

"I mean, we're open to additions and opinions. I don't want to spoil the surprise _too_ much." Kei shrugged, and the honest gesture made me relax. Wow, heart. You are _so_ easy to pry open. "But you're definitely gonna be learning how to keep yourself safe."

That certainly sounded reassuring, but it didn't change the fact that Kei didn't exactly answer my question. Woo. I couldn't help but deadpan. "I do appreciate that, again, but…coming from a workaholic past life kinda has my only additions right now include 'how to dodge, defend, and keep away from Killer Death Hugs.'"

Kei immediately stared at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

I tried not to laugh nervously. "…My past self saw a few too many anime deaths to feel that comfortable with fights."

Kei blinked at me before sighing, a bit louder this time. Her shoulders slumped as she crossed her arms over her chest again. "See, the real thing is worse. So much worse. And I want you to be able to get _out_ of them alive. That's the core idea."

Hisako threw off the large blanket I had put on her to gape. **Holy** _ **fuck**_ **, she just went the Serious Route.**

I gulped, staring for a moment. Kei met my eyes, and the way her stare didn't even _waver_ with my looking at her said everything.

**…We have to do this after all.**

I ducked my head. "Okay," was my answer, and I knew that I couldn't take it back.

Hearing it from your own best friend kinda does that to you.

Without looking up, Kei sighed again before getting up from her chair. "Come on. Let's go."

I glanced over myself before jumping off the piano bench. Thankfully, going with a simple short-sleeved blouse worked, but the skirt…thank goodness I had shorts underneath. Thank goodness indeed. "…To honor we march? Is that how it goes?"

Sue me if I misremember quotes, please.

Kei walked over to the cafe entrance, turning to me with a raised eyebrow. "No."

" _Knew_ I misremembered that." Brushing it off wasn't that great of an idea, so I ended up rambling. "Don't even remember _where_ I got that." The last thing ended up escaping me instinctively. "Well, uh, I'll be in your care?"

Kei paused, standing at the cafe doors for a little while. "…Sure," she said finally, sounding almost choked for a second. Before I could comment anymore, Kei pushed the doors open to let in the fresh air before turning back to me. "Come on, Tomo-chan."

The uneasiness in her expression really didn't help Hisako's worried screeching. But I ended up following anyways.

* * *

It took about half a walk down the block for me to realize that I was worried that I made Kei somewhat angry. Yes, I know, that's a _really_ far stretch of a conclusion to make, but considering Kei's…

"…"

Well, considering Kei's _silence_ after my last spoken comment, I didn't have anything to go off on. And I know past me was considered annoying by her own _brother_ at times, so…

Hisako patted my head reassuringly. **Tomoko-chan, try poking her. Or getting her attention.** She paused before looking through my eyes and grimacing. _**Without**_ **bringing too much attention to you both.**

Oh. Right. The stares. They weren't _bleeding_ into my back at least, but I still walked a bit faster to linger behind Kei in an attempt to try being a bit less noticeable.

My only reaction was really a glance in my direction from Kei, but she kept walking forward without stopping. I could've sworn that she slowed down, at least by a small margin, for me to catch up, so it was nice to know that it was still _her_. Even if…I might have pissed her off.

Possibly. Maybe. Absolute—

 **Tomoko-chan, don't you even** _ **dare**_ **try to finish that thought.**

I took a breath and kept up my walking pace, dodging the urge to power-walk and possibly run and hide out of sight. That was childish, ridiculous, and kinda foolish to think about, since knowing Kei, she would find me and drag me out of there. Flailing and all.

…Wait.

I ended up staring at her sandals for a second before moving forward.

When did I start thinking that Kei was like—like _Vy_ 's ex-friend? The person that judged everything she did? When did I start making comparisons to the point where I was starting to watch my own footsteps and decisions like a hawk in the hopes that _Kei_ wouldn't lash out at me like they once did?

Just…when—

"Tomo?"

I ended up bumping my head into her shoulder and winced. Really misjudged that step there. How long was I thinking? " _Ouch_ …yes?"

Kei turned her head to glance at me, a concerned look in her eye, before pointing forward. "We're here."

"What do you mean 'here'—" I cut myself off as soon as I looked past my reincarnation buddy's shoulder and got a hint of green.

"KEISUKE-KUN! YOU HAVE ARRIVED!" An apparently younger _Maito Gai_ yelled from the new Training Ground, running forward. In his haste, he apparently didn't notice his accidental _shoving_ of Obito, and all I had was a second before I was getting an eyeful of bright black eyes and bushy black eyebrows to match.

Meep.

"Hey, Gai," Kei said nonchalantly, waving before inclining her head past all the green. "You alright there, Obito?"

"B-Been better, but thanks!" The Uchiha replied in the distance, getting up and brushing himself off without much trouble, at least from what I could see beyond Kei's shoulder.

"Um," I said numbly. "Kei, is this…?"

"Oh, right." Kei was then _pushing me forward_ , like _why_ , before I was standing in front of the Green Beast himself. He was smiling widely too, and I didn't know what to make of it. The red scarf around his neck and matching red hitai-ite belt at least made him match with Canon Gai around this time, thankfully. "Gai, this is Hoshino Tomoko-chan. She needs to learn how to defend herself in case we're not around. And Tomo-chan, this is Maito Gai, local taijutsu expert and fellow Genin."

"It is very nice to meet you, Tomoko-san!" Gai offered his hand, and once I took it, he shook it firm enough to where it felt like my hand would fall off my wrist. Whoa. Taijutsu expert was probably an _understatement._ "I believe I saw you back at the last Chunin Exams?"

"V-Visiting, Gai-kun, but yes." I tried not to laugh nervously at the admission while keeping eye contact. "I'm not exactly a ninja, so…"

"Oh!" Gai immediately pulled back, hand and all, and I wiggled my fingers as a way of relaxing my already tense nerves. At least the feeling in my hand hadn't completely disappeared, so it was something. "I'm so sorry about the grip, then! I did not realize you were a civilian!"

Just, why was I stuttering. _Why._ "I-It's no trouble at all, Gai-kun, really." And I ended up laughing nervously anyways, because what else was there for me to do in awkward silence of my own makings? "I'm kinda used to it, the grip."

Hisako sighed, a fonder sound to it this time. **This is the first time anyone mistook you as a ninja though…it's somewhat nice. He doesn't coddle you.**

"Anyways," Kei cut in, and I tried not to jump because her voice was literally over my head, "Gai, I was hoping you could help us out. Tomo-chan does need to learn how to handle herself if we're not there for her, so—"

Gai's smile dropped as his eyes narrowed, serious. "Self-defense?" he finished.

"Basically," Kei confirmed mildly.

Obito then showed up at Gai's right side with a small, "She's also kinda famous?"

Heat proceeded to flood my face for the second time of the day. "O-Obi?!"

"What? Tomo-chan, it's true!" Obito crossed his arms behind his head, grinning all the while. "You're the _main_ pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe, the Uchiha Clan whisper a lot about you, and even the former White Fang lives with you! That kinda gets you _something_!"

Oh dear goodness.

And wait. The _Uchiha Clan_ gossiped about me?!

"And that 'fame,'" Kei interjected dryly with a small squeeze of my shoulder, "Means you need to learn how to kick someone's ass and run like hell if you need to get out of any sticky situations, Tomo-chan."

I then could've sworn I saw a _tidal wave_ behind Gai as he beamed. "Alright then! It is time to funnel our Flames of Youth into protection! I am more than happy to assist you, Tomoko-san!"

**…We're doomed.**

"Um, th-thank you?" I squeaked. "Just, uh, we _do_ have plenty of water, right?"

Kei patted a scroll strapped to her right leg with the hand that wasn't on my shoulder, and I still ended up gulping anyways. "That's d-duly noted, Kei," I was just trying not to shudder like all heck, because my _god_ , what did I sign myself up for? "Duly noted."

Kei still squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

"So, anyways!" Obito piped up, and seeing his bright and cheery smile made the nerves go down a little bit. Emphasis on a ' _little_ ' bit. "Do you know the first weakness of any attacker, Tomo-chan?"

Maybe it was the nerves. Maybe it was just the whole situation. But by the time I spat out my response, it was too late.

"U-Um, the groin? Just take advantage of it by kicking a guy in the place where the sun never shines? Er, or just landing a hit in a person's balls?"

Obito and Gai proceeded to turn white as sheets from the shared horror while Kei held back a snicker.

We had a _long_ way to go.

Hisako cackled. **Let's get down to business~!**

_HISAKO!_

* * *

"…Tomoko-chan, you okay?"

If there was a white flag for 'Surrender,' I wish I could've used it by now. I really wish I could. If only. Lying in the grass definitely seemed nice after what felt like physical marathons, but I couldn't get a mouthful of forest stuff forever.

Running was one thing. Actively learning how to dodge projectiles _and_ deliver elbows and palm strikes a la a Hyuga when I'm a _civvie_ is another thing. Each hour had felt like a second, and by the time I landed here, in the grass by noon, I kinda didn't want to get up.

If I was already _this_ tired on the first day before getting onto exercises that Kei and Obito made to look _easy_ in their training sessions, well…

 **We'd be ninja cannon fodder!** Hisako deadpanned for me. _**Woo.**_

 _Yeah_ , that.

Buuuuut Obito was still looking over me with a worried face, and I couldn't leave him hanging.

I decided to be honest. "I'm still alive…!" was my tired and muffled response in the grass.

Obito only huffed before pulling at my raised arm, and I ended up sitting up with a long sigh. "How you all can handle being a ninja is beyond me."

"It is the Power of Youth!" Gai-kun went on to scream, and the volume already had me wincing instinctively. "Your Flame of Youth is small now, Tomoko-san, but your enthusiasm is very dependable! I look forward to seeing your improvement in the future!"

Heat was already flooding my face. "Th-thank you, Gai-kun…" I said, because really, getting a compliment from someone who would go on to nearly defeat _Uchiha freakin' Madara_ in Canon is just sweet. Even if I was tired. "I'm looking forward to seeing you around more."

"Of course!" he beamed, and by then, Obito was giving me a sideways look of ' _what the heck are you doing, Tomo-chan_ ' without me even needing to parse the body language.

What am I doing, indeed. Then again, Vy had a strange habit of finding all the dorks. And considering now…

Gai was endearing, Obito was adorable, and Kei…

There was a sudden BOMF of smoke, and then Kei herself was handing me a water bottle. She hadn't even broken out into a sweat, contrasting my own…well, sweaty mess of a self, so that said a lot. "Come on, Tomo-chan," she said teasingly. "At least hydrate yourself before you make friends with all the bugs in the forest."

"Oh, hahaha, I think I'd like that," I deadpanned, before taking it and twisting the cap. "Thank you for the water anyways, Kei. And for the help."

"No problem." Kei had already plopped herself down on the grass with everyone else, and with the way the trees above us provided shade, it really felt like a friendly gathering. It was nice.

Chugging the water really didn't take that long. So, by the time I was half done with the bottle, I ended up sighing loudly out of relief. "Gosh, I'm tired, but I feel great! For some reason!"

Obito snickered. "Tomo-chan, you sure that's not you?"

"It _might_ be just me, but eh." I shrugged, but I knew it was honest. Being honest was definitely going to be my shtick at this rate, but hey. It's better than being tight-lipped. "I'm just glad to be out here and doing something productive!"

"Productive?" Kei blinked at me incredulously. "Tomo-chan, you play piano in the cafe, help Rin-chan at the hospital, _and_ take Hayate home after the Academy finishes for the day. How are you _not_ productive?"

Oh. I…wasn't expecting that response.

 **She got you there, dear.** Hisako muttered dryly. **Seriously, why are the** _ **weekends**_ **your only breaks? Are you trying to replicate Vy's old workaholic lifestyle?**

"Um," I started to them both. "I'm just used to it? I have the…um, _Flames of Youth_ , to do it, so why not?"

Kei stared at me in disbelief.

Hisako facepalmed with a loud, drawn-out groan. **Tomoko-chan…! Relax,** _ **please!**_ **For both of our sakes!**

It was quickly becoming apparent that was the wrong thing to say, because Gai was _sparkling_. And in my direction too. Oh no. "Tomoko-san…!" Big, wide crocodile tears were coming down his cheeks now, and oh gosh, he _really_ was crying—! "You are amazing! To do so much, and yet still search for more to do in the name of Youth…!" He was now grabbing both of my hands in his, shaking them vigorously, and gosh, there goes all the feeling in my arms. "I'm touched! From now on, I will be working with you more to develop that same Passion!"

Behind me, I could've sworn I heard Obito gag.

"Th-that's great, Gai-kun…" I said shakily, doing my best to keep on a smile in spite of all the pain, like _ow_ , "B-But, um, your grip is kinda…"

And then he let go only to do something I wasn't expecting.

A grip around my waist was all the warning I had before I was promptly seeing the training ground past Gai's head, and, of course, I ended up squeaking. Not having your feet touch the ground can do that. "G-Gai-kun?! Wha—?"

"Hahaha! You are light as a feather, Tomoko-san!" Gai was still grinning widely, and apparently, he was starting to sway back and forth while still keeping a grip, and all I could do was wrap my arms around his neck in the _mere hopes_ I wouldn't fall. "Excuse the gesture, but I am just so glad to hear this! We can work on our Youth together!"

And goodness, he was _still_ crying. And he was swinging me too. Oh goodness.

"I-I'm happy too, Gai…" I whimpered, caught between crying and laughing myself. Nothing else to do right now but hug back in the hopes that he could put me down and I wouldn't throw up on him by accident. "Just, um, your grip is kinda…" Because really, being caught in a _carry-hug_ by the taijutsu expert of Konoha sorta made the ribs creak. A lot. "It's really tight…!"

I could've sworn I saw Kei snickering behind Gai's shoulder before the Green Beast gasped dramatically and put me down. Though, the fact that he smoothed my skirt down before it could ride up my legs at all was a nice gesture. "My apologies, Tomoko-san! I just thought that hugs were something we both enjoyed!"

"You're not wrong…" I wheezed, trying to get air back into my lungs. "Just, um, work on the grip. Please?"

Gai's grin didn't even drop as he put a fist to his chest and loudly declared, "Of course! As punishment, I will run around the village 50 times!"

**Please catch him before he runs.**

_Way ahead of you._ Thankfully, his red scarf was still in view, so before he could dash off, I reached over and grabbed it. "Gai, please don't go! It's only noon! And I still might need your help in developing my Youth today anyways!"

The sound of a hand slapping a face echoed behind me, and I didn't have to look to know it was Obito. Kei nearby was starting to laugh now. Lovely.

"Oh!" Gai went, then turned around to face me, rubbing the back of his head. "My apologies! I'll commence the punishment after sundown then!"

 **Wow, how** _ **noble**_ **of you.**

_Hisako, are you by chance—_

I didn't have the opportunity to finish.

"Sheesh, kids would still be kids." A voice went.

Wait.

I turned around and found myself beaming at the brown eyes staring back.

"PAPA!"

Sure enough, Papa himself was standing nearby, two-toned brown hair and all, and even with my sore legs, I ended up running over and jumping on him anyways. It was _Papa_ , so who could blame me? I didn't even get a chance to take in what he was wearing, but by the time I landed on him, I could vaguely feel something coarse pressing against my shoulder, kinda poking into my arm overall if I fumbled enough. Still, I could hear Papa's jubilant laughter above my head once I pulled away, and he was smiling. "Hi, Tomoko-chan. How's the self-defense training going?"

"It's good, but—" I looked him over. Lack of a kimono, new _green flak jacket_ , and…a Konoha hitai-ite around his head. What? "Papa, why are you wearing this? I thought you retired…"

"Oh, just to air it out. Don't worry about it, hime." He poked my nose as a way of ending the conversation, making me wince, but I still couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else going on. Why else would he put on an outfit that I hadn't seen him in aside from pictures?

An arm was wrapped around my waist again, keeping me to his side as Papa then looked past my head and waved with his free hand. "Oh, and hello, Kei, Obito-kun, Gai."

"Yo, Judai-jichan," Kei waved back. "You didn't miss much."

"And greetings to you as well, Judai-san!" Gai-kun added with a raised hand. If I didn't know any better, it was as if he was doing a salute. Did they know each other?

"Hi, Judai-jichan!" Obito chirped too. "What's up?"

"The sky," Papa deadpanned. "Oh, and some dead friends in Heaven."

"…I wasn't meaning literally, Judai-jichan," Obito followed up with after a pause. Papa's only response was to stick out his tongue. "But what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to check on you kids," Papa then squeezed my waist again, chin landing on top of my head. Ack. Another hug. Was the chin-noogie _necessary?_ Not that I minded too much, because this was still _Dad_ , but really? "And see how Tomoko-chan was doing."

 **What a doting father.** Hisako said adoringly, clapping her hands.

"Papa…" I couldn't help but voice. My worried tone must've registered somehow since he loosened his grip to look down on me. "Is that really it?"

Papa took on an offended face. "My _word_ , hime! Do you doubt me that much?" his voice turned dramatic and almost opera-like as he raised an eyebrow. And wait. _Why_ did he go into formal language?! "What happened to that little girl that used to hang onto my hand every single day? Papa is shocked and appalled that is your opinion of me!"

Oh gosh, please don't go onto embarrassing stories, _please_. "P-Papa…!" My voice turned high-pitched again as I shook my head, hard enough for my hair to slap my face. "A-At least drop the teasing and go back to being serious!"

He sighed loudly before bonking my head with his chin. Agh. "Alright, alright, a father can tease his little girl later."

From the looks of it, Gai was clearly caught between admiration and wanting to bolt. Huh?

Papa huffed before standing up, taking me with him before setting me back on my feet. "Anyways, Kei, Obito, what did you end up covering before I got here?"

The two Genin shared a look before Obito turned back to us and raised his hand first, almost theatrically with how fast he did it. "Gai did a lot of the hard work, but it was…" he paused, considering before listing off, "Running laps, basic weak spots of an attacker—"

"Which include the eyes, neck, nose, crotch, ears, throat, chest, knees, and ankles," Kei added in, hands raised to count fingers off. That probably came from her stint with Yamaguchi-sensei, no doubt.

"—all that Kei said," Obito continued, undeterred, "Recognizing when and where someone might sneak up on you, and some easy moves on how to handle that stuff."

"Like using the heel of your palm to hit a guy's chin or elbowing someone in the stomach." Kei finished.

"…Hoh," Papa replied finally, and I didn't miss how an approving smile was covering his face. "That's great, kids."

Obito beamed just as Gai started to sparkle again. Kei had a lighter smile, but it was still a triumphant one.

And wait. Was Obito tearing up a little? I wasn't sure.

Papa then squeezed my shoulders from behind, and I couldn't help but look up. "How are you feeling though, hime? You okay?" The softer tone in his voice was not hard to miss. Even if the Konoha hitai-ite was kinda shiny and distracting.

Hisako waved her hand in the air, barely missing some flying books. **Tomoko-chan, please tell him you need re—**

"I'm okay, Papa." I said instead, despite feeling every muscle in my body protest loudly with the words. Whoops. "S-sore, but I'm okay to go for a few more hours."

Hisako proceeded to slam her head into a nearby library shelf. **Deaaaaaaaaaar. Whyyyyyyy.**

Gai was positively _glowing_ now as Kei facepalmed. Oh dear.

Papa glanced over me once before snorting. "Yeah, and I'm the Hokage," was his mutter, and then he was poking my head. "Okay. Well, I can at least give you four some more pointers before we head back." There was now a confident glint in his eye, and…wait.

Was Papa's eyes always _heterochromatic_ since he showed up?

Obito and Kei's tensed figures and surprised faces didn't help anything.

"I can at least teach you all how to handle some seals. More so if you don't have the usual equipment in an emergency."

Gai-kun was now sporting a rainbow.

* * *

By the time the sun was setting, I was very tempted to groan and keel over at this point. Seal work felt a lot like tedious calligraphy, or even line-art back when I was Vy, but adding in the fact that Papa knew how to make _trees_ become writing surfaces…

What did Papa _go_ through back in his ninja days?

Thankfully, I did have enough energy to walk, allowing me to stick along with my ninja friends on the way out of the Training Grounds, but Papa was still at least a pace away.

 **Understandable, since you look like you're about to** _ **keel over at any second now,**_ Hisako muttered hotly. Yeah, she wasn't happy with me. Then again, she didn't like the idea of me training in the first place. Oh well. If this could increase my chances of survival, as well as help me fight off any angry civilians in the future, I'd take what I could get.

Still, there was one thing I meant to address sooner rather than later…

"…"

Despite Obito and Gai yelling rather animatedly in front of us, Kei was still quiet in the middle of the group, hands in her hoodie pockets as she slumped forward. Her sandals too seemed to drag into the dirt of the paved road, and my worries from earlier only seemed to come back with a vengeance.

… _Is she still angry?_

Maybe it was because today was one of her rare days off, and yet, she went on to help me. Even after the Chunin Exams bust, she still came by and helped me out.

_Did I…Have I done the same for her yet? Have I helped her enough?_

_Have I really been there for her like she's been for me today? For these past 3 years?_

The questions swirled in my head to the point of making water in the library, and Hisako ended up rolling her eyes.

 **Tomoko-chan,** Hisako said, and to my surprise, in spite of the slight tone of irritation, her voice took on a softer sound. **Just poke her. Ask. At least do it now, so that you don't regret it later.**

… _Should I?_

Hisako patted my head. **Tomoko-chan, I'm not a mind-reader. I can only help you out so long as you let me. And I can at least guarantee as your Nobody that Kei doesn't hate you. She won't hate you.**

I took a breath. I wanted to believe that. But…the last time I did—

' _How_ bad _at this are you? Even a child should understand this.'_

I shook my head. Ty was gone now. Ty — that _ex_ - _friend_ would never come back. Neither would Vy. Or her life.

A hand was then suddenly pushing at my shoulder from behind, and I turned only to meet Papa's brown eyes. "D-Daddy?" I went instinctively.

"Go on, hime," he said, smile warm. "Go talk to her."

I was getting that obvious to read, huh.

**There's nothing wrong with that, Tomoko-chan. The world needs a bit more honesty.**

I nodded to them both. It didn't feel that right to leave them hanging.

Papa smiled again, wider this time, before pushing at my shoulder, and it was all the motivation I needed to push more energy into my legs and move forward.

It was a small tug. Really, a trope taken from romance anime itself if you wanted to go that far in describing my actions. But grasping what little I could of Kei's jacket sleeve did its job of catching her attention, because she turned her head, stopping her walking pace to stare at me. "Tomo-chan?"

I ducked my head. Meeting her gaze felt rather nerve-wracking right now, so I ended up rambling instead. "Kei? Uh, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but can I ask you something?"

The commotion in front of us stopped as Kei's stare bore into my head. "Go on."

 _Oh gosh, rambling to Hisako is easier than this!_ Because really, the weight on my heart falling into my ribs didn't help anything. "Kei, I-I'm _happy_ that you helped me today, but, be honest, please?"

She grunted as a way of voicing her agreement.

 _Okay…_ I took in a deep breath before saying it.

"Am I doing enough for you?"

She tensed, and without moving my head, I knew I threw her for a loop. "What does that mean?"

"Well, um, how to put this…" To buy some time, or perhaps to relax myself, I fidgeted with my hands, letting go of Kei's sleeve in the process. It didn't feel right to meet her eyes right now, because the shock in her stare was palpable enough to where I could feel it. Shivers up my spine and all. "For the past few years since I've met you, you've done a lot for me. You helped me figure out my chakra, how to handle Hi—" I cut myself off from saying Hisako's name because of the sudden realization that we weren't alone. Papa, Obito, and Gai were all still with us, so I amended the thought. Their stares were already starting to hurt. "How to clean up my own head and worries, and," I gulped, "And now you're teaching me self-defense. Even when you're supposed to be using this time to train yourself."

_Even though you didn't have to._

I pressed my fingers together while looking up hesitantly through my bangs. Even then, Kei stared steadily back, a confused look in her black eyes now. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, _really_ happy, actually, that you're helping me, but I don't feel like I'm doing enough for _you_ in return for all that."

_Especially after everything you've done in comparison to me._

Something, some kind of emotion I didn't recognize, swirled in those black eyes as Kei opened her mouth. "Tomo-ch — _Tomoko_ , those are things I do — I should have been doing — for friends." She paused, eyebrows furrowed while still keeping eye contact. Her fists clenched at her sides once they left her jacket pockets. "…We're friends, right?"

Hisako summed up my first reaction pretty well in spite of her crude language. **What in all goddamn** _ **fuck?**_

"Kei, o-of _course_ we're friends!" I didn't even realize I shouted it out into the open until Kei was flinching, and I took a step back, shaking my head. "After three years? After all this time we've been together? There's nothing denying that! It's just…just…" I forced myself to take a deep breath for the sake of not losing more of my voice to my insecurities. I didn't even realize I was holding my hands close to my chest, shrinking as best as I could into myself until the words came out. "I just don't know if I'm doing enough to pay _you_ back."

Because that same blind belief that no one hated me led to Ty—that ex-friend leaving. To Vy's old brother hating Vy. To Vy's parents turning overprotective and near hysterical to the very end.

Kei let out a shaky breath.

"I-I just…" I inhaled, keeping my head bowed. "You've been _there_ for me so much, Kei, and I don't know if I've done the same…if that makes sense."

The last thing I was expecting at that moment was a large yell.

"Oh my _god_ , are you two serious?!"

I tried not to flinch and looked up only to get an eyeful of blue and orange. "O-Obi?"

The named Uchiha proceeded to march towards both of us, his footsteps loud and exaggerated with his stomping, and continued to yell. "YOU'RE BOTH FRIENDS. YOU'RE JUST BAD COMMUNICATORS."

All that I could end up saying was a small, deadpan, "Eh."

Kei glanced between me and Obito with wide eyes, her frown literally saying how much this situation wasn't one she was prepared for.

Obito then pointed a finger at both of us so fast to where _Phoenix Wright_ would've been proud, glaring all the while. "None of that! No talking down about yourselves again, ever! You're friends, and you're gonna _be_ friends until someone decides to be a jerk, so deal with it!" And, before either of us could say anything else, Obito stomped away with the same exaggerated footsteps, huffing into the distance.

A long pause followed, along with a random tumbleweed blowing in the distance.

Papa snickered first. "Well, he just took my thunder."

A giggle escaped me before I could think on it. My heart felt lighter, if anything. "Oh gosh, now it feels like I should've talked about this sooner."

Gai-kun of all people was the one to deadpan, "Well, that was weird."

Kei turned her head to give him an incredulous look. "Really, Gai?"

The Green Beast only shrugged.

I hid the urge to laugh, but it was hard to deny the weird, goofy smile on my face. "We _might_ have to apologize to Obi later, Kei-chan. Buuuut," I made sure to smile in front of the perplexed Green Beast while shrugging. "Gai-kun, I think we're _all_ weird, so you're in good company!"

It took only a moment for Gai to laugh too, heartily in contrast to my giggles and Papa's hidden snickering, but it was something. "Hahaha! You may be right about that, Tomoko-san!"

"Hee hee."

* * *

It took Gai leaving to go home too and the visage of Nagareboshi Cafe to loom in the distance that it registered. Kei never did answer my original question, and she was still here, so…

"Kei?" I tried again, without the sleeve-tug this time.

She turned around almost immediately. "What is it, Tomo-chan?"

 **She went back to the nickname.** Hisako noted quietly. **That's good to see.**

Before I could think on it, I was opening my arms. Nagareboshi Cafe was only a meter away, and I couldn't help myself. "Hug."

Kei blinked at me. "Bwuh?"

I gestured with my arms again, trying not to pout. "Hug? Please?"

She gave me that same funny look from when Obito called us out before sighing. "Okay, okay, dork," she muttered, and then all it took was a few steps, and then I could finally hug my reincarnation buddy.

The scent this time was mochi mixed with sweat and something musty, but it was still Kei. And she was reciprocating the hug too, so woo!

Even with Papa watching, I didn't feel any embarrassment as I admitted it.

"Daisuki da yo, Kei."

She immediately tensed. "Tomoko?"

Even with my heart beating a little harder than normal because of admitting something so embarrassing — not helped by how Kakashi _overheard_ the last time I said it, but whatever — I was able to pull away and look up at her with a warm smile. "If we weren't friends, I wouldn't have said that so easily."

Kei's cheeks immediately turned a light pink. "Tomo-chan…"

"Really, Kei, I'm sorry if I did anything that made you doubt our relationship or something," I ended up scratching my cheek while trying to ignore how my muscles took this time to start protesting. "But you are my bestest friend in the whole wide world right now. And I only asked what I said earlier because it doesn't feel like I've been the best to you like you have been for me."

One of her hands still lingered on my shoulder, despite its tense grip, so I took that as a sign to continue.

"You're a ninja, Kei. And I'm a civilian. I know I can't be there for you all the time." I held back a sigh at the admission because thinking about the recent Chunin Exams would automatically make me sour, and we didn't need that right now. "But I want to help you out. At least be useful whenever you need me to. Heck, maybe even provide a pick-me-up when you need it. So…" I held back an embarrassed whimper just to be honest. "I guess, call me out if you need anything? Because I want to be there for you?"

Kei stared at me for what felt like a long time. Way too long, actually, to where I wanted to hide away and just hit myself against a nearby wall over and over for saying something so cheesy. So cliché. Like, where the _heck_ did I get that from? Leo?

Still, before I could say anything else, a hand roughly landed on my head, patting my hair. "…Thanks, Tomoko." I looked up, and it only registered for a few seconds that Kei was _smiling_ before the gesture dropped for a more solemn frown. "But you don't have to be 'useful' to me to be a friend. 'Use' isn't really a category for me."

… _Huh?_

Kei was smiling again, drier this time. "Tomo-chan, Tomo-chan, Tomo-chan." With each repetition of my nickname, she poked my forehead, and I tried not to wince. Like, why. "I'd just like you to be safe. And yourself. _Without_ working yourself to death, I mean."

I ended up wincing anyways.

 **That's a burn.** Hisako declared proudly. **Unintentional burn, but burn.**

How was she even _proud…?_ It was still a burn.

Still, Kei was grinning at me as her hand moved up to rest on the crown of my hair. "There's no need to give me the _world_ , Tomo-chan. I'd just like to see you every now and then, hang out, and listen to your music, okay? It's enough for me."

Warmth swelled in my chest almost like wildfire. I don't know if there were any other words to describe it, but Kei?

I didn't have to worry anymore about whether Kei was angry or not.

Her wide, crooked grin said everything.

Ty — that ex-friend had officially lost their place in my heart.

I nodded. "Okay, okay." I was grinning too. "But before you go back home…"

"Hm?"

I opened my arms again since she had already stepped away a few paces. "One more hug?"

Papa snickered again, having clearly lost the fight in trying to hide it.

"Really?" Kei snorted through her nose, the puff blowing away a bit of her bangs. "You _dork_ ," she muttered.

"We're _both_ dorks," I finished for her. "And this hug-loving dork would like one more hug before you go. Please?"

Kei coughed, almost as if she had just bitten back a bark of a laugh. "Alright, alright."

Once Papa joined into the little gesture, it was like a dream come true.

Sore muscles, pointy elbows, and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Training, fluff, Kei-character study, Tomoko-introspection, Gai, and more fluff. Also, off-screen, Tomo goes on to make a batch of cupcakes for a certain Uchiha as an apology. He tries to turn them down.
> 
> I don't have any other words to describe this whole thing. And, to be honest, a lot of this chapter was just finished in the past two days. I have no clue how I did it, but I think it might've been from finishing a good art piece and having lots of time.
> 
> Ah well. Might as well enjoy this before I have to get onto something else in S&S. (fans self) Oh, Plot, how I hate you sometimes with your Angst. All I ask is just bring Kei into the forefront again and let Tomo be the supportive Team-Minato-Cheerleader she wants to be. Just do that for me, Plot. I don't want S&S to turn out all Tomo-centric, even if our pianist is good at filling in for time.
> 
> Or sleep. Eh.
> 
> Thanks again, of course, to Lang and Os. Their support really goes for miles, and I'm just glad to have them.
> 
> This is T, signing out to write Chapter 20. And to update Civilian Pianist as soon as I can.


	20. Simple Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is once again split between two songs: (1) TAMusic's Piano and Violin cover of Eternal Blaze from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, for what I feel best represents the Hoshino Family, and (2) NoriPixel's RWBY Medley — Warm Piano version, for all the ninja starring in this chapter.
> 
> The title for this chapter too is taken from a specific RWBY quote, and well, considering RWBY is one of my favorite shows of all time, why not? The emotion of NoriPixel's specific arrangement really got to me.
> 
> Now. There is one last song I haven't mentioned yet, and it is actually played by Tomoko in the last half of the chapter. This song is SaphiraLynx's piano version mix of Legend of Mermaid and Taiyou no Rakuen from Mermaid Melody. The lyrics used in the chapter come from Anime Lyrics dot com, so please support their translations if you can. Still. The original songs, and anime of Mermaid Melody too, made up a large part of my childhood when getting into anime, so this is a way of honoring that. Tomoko does share a lot of those memories with me, after all. :)
> 
> Nonetheless. A trigger warning is necessary for flashbacks (that show up in the latter half of this chapter) of what is implied to be verbal abuse. Skirt around it if you must.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 20: Simple Souls_

If there was one thing Hoshino (former Yuki) Judai could look forward to these days, it was the weekly meetings between old friends-turned-family members on the weekends.

Ten years ago, he would have pegged his little hime as the first, _real_ miracle he ever had. Tears, emotions, and all. Meeting Hikari four years before that when he was 23 was the starting spark.

And, well, considering both the ladies in his life, they were certainly living up to their informal nicknames when it came to bringing friends back. To bringing light back.

His 19-year old, war-torn self would never have imagined meeting up with his friends again, all enjoying a pot of tea while out on the patio. Nor would he have thought about retiring and leaving all the bloodshed behind.

Another war may have started, but even then, he couldn't help but enjoy the small bits of peace he could have.

It was why when the question was asked, he was left absolutely speechless.

"Judai," Wataru ended up groaning. "How did you get so _lucky_?"

"About what?" he replied incredulously.

"Everything!" His younger friend was apparently leaning against one of the bars of the patio fence, half smiling, half frowning. His cup of tea, while half-full, was left unattended on his right side as he lounged, looking out towards the backyard and, by extension, the other streets of Konoha. "Just, just, _argh._ "

After drawing out that particular verbal complaint, Wataru proceeded to bonk his head against said patio bar with another drawn-out groan. Technically, it was a banister, but any description worked at this point. Eh.

Near Wataru's left, Sakumo snorted. Despite the dry noise, there was a hint of amusement, and Judai couldn't help but hide a grin at it. Maybe seeing his old captain's hair _down_ instead of his usual ponytail helped. Judai never thought he would see so much spiky frizz in his life. Then again, he never thought that he would be sharing a house with his former captain anyways. "What, Wataru? Are you jealous?"

"A _little_!" Wataru complained loudly, throwing a hand wildly in the air for emphasis, never once raising his head. "I mean, Judai, you get hitched first without telling _any_ of us, end up having an _adorable_ daughter, and now you get to relax like it's no one's business!"

Judai held down a chuckle. "Hey, I _run_ my own business too, you know. I'm not just a sitting duck." He waved his tea as an emphasis. "Who handles the bar around this cafe again?"

Wataru gave him what clearly looked like the stink eye from his right side. "…You."

"Exactly."

Sakumo chuckled before taking a long sip of his tea. "Well, that's one thing put to the side." He clasped the green tea cup a bit tighter while taking another sip. "…Hm," he said after a pause, satisfaction clear in his voice. "Hikari's improved."

"Remind me to thank Miyako for that later, Wataru," Judai pipes in, taking a swig of his own tea. Even if it was still somewhat scalding, he ignored the burning of his tongue to take in the liquid before sighing. "So, is there anything else you want to talk about aside from jealousy?"

"How business is slow as all hell?" Wataru laughed self-depreciatingly. "Because really, clan-run stores seem to do better than small, local blacksmiths…"

Judai didn't know what to make of that. "At least you have work? And spending money?"

Wataru sighed loudly against the patio banister.

"…Perhaps something more positive?" Sakumo said slowly. "I know all the children at the Academy have been surprisingly receptive."

"Oh! That reminds me!" Wataru jumped up from his seat to lean towards the former White Fang, and Judai had to hide yet another laugh at the perplexed expression on his former captain's face. "Cap—Sakumo, how is it, teaching? Is it interesting?"

"Hayate's doing well, Wataru, that's a start," Sakumo was smiling, almost knowingly again, and Judai had to bite down a smirk at the surprised look on Wataru's face.

 _Hayate was probably brought up because he was getting worried again. Heh._ Judai ended up smiling anyways as Sakumo shrugged. _Sakumo's getting better at socializing_. _That's a good sign._

Nonetheless, Sakumo took a sip of his tea, ignoring Wataru's curious bouncing on the patio. "He's been the star of his own friend group, and definitely someone the other kids have been admiring a bit when doing exercises. It might help that Tomoko-chan visits every now and then."

"Oh yeah…" Judai hid another chuckle via a sip of his tea. "She picks up Hayate every now and then for Miyako, huh?"

Sakumo chuckled too. "The only con I see is that she brings far too many sweets. The children all clamor to her whenever she comes around the classroom. I sometimes get a few muffins because she had extra."

"Seriously? I don't get any!" Wataru whined. "Sheesh, what does a man have to do to get some sweets around here…?" He proceeded to bump his head against the patio banisters again, sighing exaggeratedly. "It would make a day go by faster…"

"You could just ask?" Sakumo suggested obliviously, raising a pointer finger.

Wataru groaned. "Like it's _that_ easy."

"Heh." Judai sipped his tea again, clasping the tea cup tightly. "Seriously, Wataru, Tomoko-chan's a sweet girl. If you want to, just make a request. As long as she's free, she can do it. You're kinda underestimating how far she can go when she's energetic enough. She didn't get all that from me."

"Which, knowing her and who she _does_ get it from, it's only on _weekends_ …" Wataru sighed again, longer this time. Judai didn't know whether to complain or let the jab slide. "Man…mochi is great and all, but it can only last for so long…"

From the angle, Judai could've sworn the former White Fang's eyebrows were twitching. "Wataru…" Sakumo bemoaned quietly. "Just _ask_ …"

"Ask what?" went a squeaky voice. Oh, speak of the devil.

Technically, _sweetheart_ , but whaaaaat? A father was completely entitled to loving his daughter!

And no, he was not becoming Jailbait. Get your mind out of whatever disgusting gutter it was in.

Judai didn't even hide the wide grin on his face as his little girl proceeded to open the back door, stepping out onto the patio with her slippers and all, confused frown on her face. "I have banana-nut muffins?" she elaborated slowly as her right hand batted at a stray strand of black hair. Apparently, it was sticking out like a sore thumb from the small ponytail sitting behind her neck. "With a touch of coffee in them."

If Wataru was sulking with a thunder cloud over his head earlier, the sky had completely cleared up for him in mere seconds. "Yes, please!" he yelled loudly, jumping up along with the shout.

Tomoko-chan yelped in surprise, clearly not expecting the enthusiasm. "U-Um, okay?" was her little squeak. "Does more tea sound good with that?"

"Only if you can carry it all, hime," Judai couldn't help but tease, smiling. It was satisfying to see his little girl pout in protest. Hehe. "Tomoko-chan, you're still 10. Even if you work at the cafe as much as your Mama and me—"

"Which I do!" the girl protested loudly, clenching the hem of her skirt. "Playing the piano and serving and cooking the food—"

"Not the point," Judai went on nonchalantly, "But Tomoko-chan, don't overwork yourself, okay? We at least appreciate the effort."

The little girl proceeded to turn as red as a cherry, looking as aghast and chastised as an embarrassed girl could be. "I-I know that…" She turned her head away, trying to hide her cheeks via tugging at her hair. "Jeez, Papa, you sound like Miyako-bachan…"

Sakumo chuckled behind his cup of tea. From the sound of it, he was clearly enjoying the scene. "Could we get the muffins now, Tomoko-chan? At least, before Hayate and Obito eat them all?"

"Don't you even _dare_ think about that," Wataru muttered lowly. "Muffins are great and should be shared with all sweets lovers."

The former White Fang turned to Wataru with a raised eyebrow. "What happened to the man who was complaining about his work earlier?"

"Work is one thing, sweets are another!" Wataru loudly declared, beating his chest with a proud fist. "And sweets reign supreme!"

Tomoko in question was starting to let off steam from her red ears. "A-Ah, um…" Tomoko then squeaked out a loud and high-pitched, "I-I'll just go and get the muffins!" before stomping away and back into the house. The sliding screen door closed behind her with a somewhat harsh SLAM, making Wataru jump in place before the silence settled once more.

"…Well," Judai started cheerily after another sip of tea. "That was a thing."

Sakumo glanced in his direction with yet another raised eyebrow. This time, he was wearing an incredulous face. "Judai, do you _always_ make fun of your daughter like that?"

"She's cute," Judai declared proudly. Besides, he couldn't pull this kind of thing with anyone else. Hikari was too much of a troll. Kakashi was too stiff. Tomoko-chan was just fine. "And she's an open book, so why not?"

Wataru was gaping at him now too. What. "…But, Judai, I thought you hated reading. Why the book analogy?"

Oh. "Even if I hate books in general, it doesn't mean I can't _use_ it as a joke." Judai hid the sudden feeling of irritation with a sip of tea, and even if it was lukewarm, he could take it. "And besides, the kids aren't going to be kids forever."

"…I hate it when you get down and personal like that," Wataru replied in the same dull voice. "How do you do it? Switch from cheer to cold in a few seconds flat?"

This time, Judai and Sakumo answered in unison. "Don't ask."

Once the scent of bananas and coffee wafted into the area, the topic wasn't picked up again. It was easier to focus on chewing the soft nuts in sweets than thinking about it any further.

* * *

"Tomo-chan, you need to talk more!" was Obito's new way of starting the conversation. Apparently.

Even if it was a simple statement, I couldn't help but be caught off guard anyway, nearly dropping the muffin tin in my hands mid-wash. "Obi? Wh-what do you mean by that?"

Let's rewind really quick. Today was part of the weekend. And apparently, since Obito's 10th birthday this recent winter and the start of my self-defense training, he made it a habit to start visiting Nagareboshi. Not during work hours, but just to visit. Hang out. That kind of thing. It was a bit weird, since last I checked, he lived by himself in an apartment, not to mention the Anime/Manga Canon showing him with a _stalker-wall full of pictures of Rin-chan_. Which, mind you, I'm not touching with a ten-meter _pole_.

I could only hope he wouldn't go full…Yandere. Ish. Or Uchiha-Yandere. If that's even a term to coin the whole mess that was the Tobito thing.

Thank goodness Obito wasn't turning out like Yuno Gasai from that one anime Leo mentioned to Vy so long ago, but still.

Kishimoto's contrived bullshit was _still_ bullshit, and there was now a risk of it happening in real life if I didn't have anything to say about it. Or if Kei never existed.

…Nope. I'm not going to entertain the thought of Kei not existing. Nope, nope, _nope._

Hisako only had one thing to add as commentary about the whole new revelation.

**You. Need. A. Social. Life. Outside. Of. The Gekkō. Family. And. The. Cafe!**

…Yes, technically, that was one thing broken up into individual words for emphasis, but my Nobody was weird and punctual like that. At least, when she wanted to.

Still, Obito was here, helping me dry the dishes I was washing after the most recent baking session, and now laying into me for some reason that was not privy to me.

Before I could entertain any further thoughts, Obito sighed loudly and pointed a finger at me, Phoenix Wright-inspired and all. Even with his signature navy blue sleeves rolled up and his hands wet, the gesture had me tensing up anyways. "Tomo-chan, you're bad at communicating! _Especially_ with Kei!"

For some reason, my face was already starting to feel hot. Without thinking, I glanced around, and could only place my judgement behind the gesture as simple of a ramble as, "Ohgod, please, I _hope_ Hayate didn't hear that. Please, please, _please_ don't let Hayate hear this!" Then, it was taking a breath, letting his words settle in, and turning around to face him proper.

And turning around so to not drop any other dishes in the sink in the fear of breaking something.

Hearing Hisako fight what sounded like _Heartless_ in my head every now and then was sort of a large wake-up call as is.

**TAKE THAT, YOU ROTTEN PIECES OF DARKNESS! DIE IN ALL YOUR CONTRIVED BULLSHITTY CUTENESS! MOOKS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LOOK CUTE!**

Oh. There was a fight going on now. Joy. That meant my heart was currently on a roller coaster, and my Nobody was busy.

Great. Just great.

 **HOW IN ALL FUCKS CAN SHADOWS EVEN BE CUTE?! YOU'RE** _**SHADOWS** _ **, FOR PETE'S SAKE!**

"See?!" Obito was yelling again, pointing at me in frustration, and I tried not to flinch. Why did he have to be so loud? His goggles glinting in the sunlight for extra emphasis just made my stomach sink deeper into my gut. "Tomo-chan, you space out whenever something bad pops up, and even with Kei in the room, you close yourself off and don't speak your mind!"

**HE HAS A POINT, Y'KNOW!**

Hearing Hisako yell like a banshee in the middle of my head didn't help my heart running its current marathon. What a joy.

"O-Oh," was all I said outwardly, because really. Getting an earful from Naruto-inspired Progenitor #1 kinda silences any protests you could possibly have. Not to mention, having bad memories of yelling from a previous life. "Um."

Obito lowered his hand to stare at me with wide, shocked eyes. "…You didn't notice?"

"Er," I tried not to squeak, picking up a dirty dish to wipe off with a sponge as a way to distract myself. "No?"

Obito proceeded to slam his forehead into the sink counter. "Tomo-chaaaaaaan."

"I-I'm sorry!" was my only way of responding, since high-pitched embarrassment was all I could achieve now, amazingly. "It's just kinda hard to speak up when Kei gives off this aura of, 'Do Not Disturb,' like Kakashi sometimes!"

"Seriously?!" Obito was gaping my way now, and woo, he was starting to look like a dead fish with his black spikes. "Tomo-chan, you've been friends with Kei for almost _four_ years! Kakashi, about two! Or three! I don't know!"

"Doesn't make it any less nerve-wracking when trying to bring up something!"

"Tomo-chan!"

To my surprise, I ended up taking a cue from Hisako's current Heartless frustration and blurting it out. "Obi, you guys are _ninja!_ I'm just a plain old civilian who barely knows jack-sh—" and oh god, I was about to curse like a sailor, _no_ on that stuff, "—bleh on what you're doing as a team anymore, _especially_ since the last Chunin Exams, and the last thing I want is to ramble like all heck and worry you when you don't need more weight on your plates!"

And holy shit, I just said it. I just revealed a part of a secret I was hoping to never say _period_. Oh no. Someone kill me now.

 **Tomoko-chan, for** _ **god's**_ **sake, don't wish to die again!**

_Hisako, but I…_

**You can** _ **do**_ **this. Socializing is** _ **not**_ **hard.**

Obito opened his mouth, blinked, and then closed it. "…Tomo-chan," he said finally, quietly too. "Is _that_ it?"

I made sure to put the dish in my hands away into the drying rack. "Mm," was the last, pitiful whimper of agreement I could get out of my throat, because to be honest, I wanted to curl up in the darkest corner in the world and sulk for all my life. At this point, I wouldn't put it past him for thinking I looked pathetic, because I _felt_ pathetic.

Woo.

"Self-pity" is a real thing. And low self-esteem. Don't question me on this. And…oh _god_.

If Kei got wind of this, I was definitely dead. If not from the embarrassment, then by throwing myself into the trash can where I probably deserved to be.

Maybe a fire incinerator would be nice at this time of year… It was autumn, after all.

Burning in flames…Josh would be proud! I think. He did say he used to kill his mental work minions with fire when they messed up. And with swords. Or something.

I wasn't expecting the sudden hug. From the looks of the whole situation, it was definitely Obito, and even with the slight bit of wetness on his palms transferring to the shoulders of my blouse, the shock was all I could register in my heart. "Obi?"

An exasperated breath brushed the top of my hair as Obito sighed. "Tomo-chan, you're holding back too much."

"Eh?"

My hands still stayed frozen, hanging over the sink like limp noodles.

Obito huffed again. He wasn't minding my tension? "Tomo-chan, we're all _friends_." As if to emphasize his point, he raised his left hand to wave in the air rather comically. "You don't have to hold back around us when something's worrying you. The point of friends is being able to _help_ each other. You're not doing any favors by keeping things to yourself."

My heart beat once. He was already starting to sound like Miyako-bachan too, and now I couldn't help but wonder how transparent I really was for _Obito_ to notice. Was I really the only one to be so dense in the group?

The last thought finally broke whatever mental shackles were holding my hands down, allowing me to reach up and lightly pat Obito's right arm that was still hanging over my shoulders. "Obi…" My voice cracked.

"Don't just 'Obi' me, Tomo-chan." Obito sounded scolding now as his left arm touched the top of my head, patting it. "I get it. Kei…well, Kei _and_ me _and_ Kakashi, we can't talk about ninja stuff that much anymore. Rin-chan too. Missions are confidential. But that doesn't mean we _want_ you slipping away from us." He tightened the hug. "You're our friend, Tomo-chan. Just _talk_ to us. To Kei too."

The fighting in my head finally stopped. **Obito has another point, Tomoko-chan. A new life doesn't mean making yourself a martyr. You're not Madoka.**

Still, even with all that in mind, a dark part of me felt doubtful. It even came through my voice. "But…but how, Obi?" I didn't want to be apprehensive, to be so suspicious, but my voice cracked enough to where the hug tightened, and I knew Obito recognized it. "How am I supposed to talk? I mean, free time is something rare for all of you—"

"Free time, lost time, _whatever_ , Tomo-chan!" Obito squeezed my shoulders tightly, one more time, before letting go. I looked up as soon as he beat a fist against his chest, beaming all the while. It almost looked like he was _saluting_ to me. "Just leave it to me!"

He had that bright white smile that made me want to believe it. To believe in him.

Did I even deserve that? That smile, the devotion?

Still, some form of sarcasm was sticking, because I found myself bopping his nose with my pointer finger. "Just don't burn down any houses."

Obito took an affronted step back. "Hey—how and _why_ would I burn down houses, Tomo-chan?!"

I attempted to humor him with my best attempts for hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! You're a flame-loving dork!"

Judging by Obito's aghast expression, I was epically _failing._ "That's _not_ how you cast the Jutsu, Tomo-chan!"

" _That's_ what you focus on first?!"

Obito ended up trying to teach me the 12 basic ninja hand signs for the rest of the afternoon after we finished the dishes. I tried not to break any of my fingers.

In the background, I could've sworn I heard Hayate laugh with Papa while fumbling. Oh well.

* * *

Obito already knew that the next thing on his To-Do List was to get Kei in on the whole problem.

Tomo-chan was a friend. She couldn't go away. She couldn't just pretend everything was okay and expect everyone else to play along with it.

Obito already decided when she gave him that gigantic chocolate cake with cherries on-top for his birthday that she was going to stay. Tomo-chan was a part of Team Awesomeness, just as much as anyone else. And hey, Rin wasn't in Team Minato officially, but who cared? Team Awesomeness was _awesome_ , and no one was going to take that away.

The only problem was how to approach Kei about this.

It was obvious even from the beginning that Tomo-chan had a soft spot for Kei. Hell, even with the previously mentioned chocolate cake, Tomo-chan only really tackled _Kei_ for anything. When thinking about it, not even _his_ hugs could parallel the number of times Tomo-chan jumped. It was getting _slightly_ easier to wipe off any geta footprints on his person whenever they happened. Slightly.

Obito couldn't shrug off the feeling there was something else going on. And considering the most recent communication problem, of course Kei had to be involved.

It was a no-brainer.

What was not a no-brainer was how to really break it out to Kei without any backlash.

In the end, after a quick spar with the rest of Team Minato, Obito blurt it out into the plain open. There was no point in beating around the bush.

"We all need to talk to Tomo-chan!"

Minato-sensei only leveled a confused stare in his direction as Kei and Kakashi both looked up from their bentos with a mix of surprise and bewilderment. "Obito," Sensei started gently, "What brought this on?"

Kei was already putting her chopsticks down onto the picnic blanket, frowning. "Is something wrong with Tomo-chan?"

"Nothing that I'm really aware of, aside from the usual worry," Kakashi put in helpfully.

Yeah, _no._ Obito held back the urge to lash out at the clueless Chunin and instead pointed a finger in Kei's direction. This ought to work.

"Kei, I dunno what the hell you did, but Tomo-chan apparently thinks you have a 'Do Not Disturb' aura like Bakashi does—" much to the now visible exasperation of Kakashi in question, "—and she's not talking anymore! You need to talk to her the most out of everyone on this team!"

Kei blinked before saying a flat, "What."

Ooookay, that hadn't sunk in yet. Obito left his finger hanging and pointing in Kei's direction. "You need to talk to her, Kei! Tomo-chan keeps thinking we're going to go far, far away like some kind of ninja ghosts if you don't!"

"Why _me_?" Kei continued in the same incredulous tone, eyes wide.

"Because!" Obito huffed, because gosh, this was taking a long time for things to sink in. "Tomo-chan's worried about all of us, _you_ more than anyone else, and she can't say it, hell, say _anything_ in her opinion, because of that 'Do Not Disturb' aura you somehow have with Kakashi!"

Kakashi finally interrupted with a frustrated, "What did _I_ do to cause this?"

"Kakashi," Sensei chastised firmly. He then sighed, looking up towards Obito with a questioning stare. "How long has this been a problem, Obito? Can it at least be solved quickly?"

That was a question he never saw coming. Obito tried not to fumble with his hands. "Maybe? In a week? Sorry, Sensei, I'm not sure…?" he ended up laughing sheepishly. "Tomo-chan's been more quiet than usual, so I thought we had to handle this before something else happened…"

He cut himself off before saying anything else. The atmosphere said enough.

Kakashi huffed before turning back to his bento, eating with a more obvious ferocity.

While this entire bout of banter was going on, Kei stayed silent, her gaze focused on her bento as her chopsticks laid limp in her hands. "Huh," she said, voice small. "Well." As if to fill in for her currently unknown thoughts, she grabbed a piece of ginger to chew on for a moment. "Obito, feel like coming with me on a field trip later?"

Now Obito was confused. "Field trip?" he echoed. "Where to?"

"The Cafe." Kei smiled wryly while waggling a pointer finger. "We have a pianist to visit and to 'get rid of all the sads' for."

Kakashi snorted dryly as soon as Obito started grinning. The main goal was achieved! "YES!"

"As long as you two finish your training for the day first," Minato interjected patiently.

Well, shit.

* * *

"Make sure not to _jump_ on her, Kei—"

"I get it."

"And, and, be as casual as possible, okay? I told her I could handle this, but she doesn't know that I actually _told_ you!"

Kei held back the urge to sigh, instead pinching the bridge of her nose with her right hand. "Obito, did you even _plan_ this?"

The Uchiha took on a frown, looking as apologetic and shameful as a ten-year old Genin could afford to be. "No?"

 _Oh, Obito._ Kei facepalmed, ignoring the sweat on her person as much as possible. "If Tomo-chan screams or something, I'm blaming you."

"Hey!"

Kei proceeded to walk through the streets of Konoha's shopping district at a faster pace, trying to not roll her eyes. Obito would always be Beta Naruto, and even this wasn't all that different. His loud protests behind her said volumes as she glanced along the many colorful buildings. "Now, where is it…"

**We memorized this already. It shouldn't be that hard.**

Point.

And, speaking of the devil, there it was. A few meters away, the colorful sign of "Nagareboshi Cafe" was already coming into view over the horizon and Obito was now cheering.

"Yay! We're here!" he was definitely grinning with the proclamation, "Now to surprise Tomo-chan…"

"Obito," Kei was grinning herself in spite of her quirked eyebrow, "What happened to being casual?"

"We can still surprise her!" Obito went on, unabated by the question. "She always tackles you in hugs first, Kei, so why can't we do it back? It's good karma!"

"I dunno if that's _karma_ , Obito," Kei mused, but the red doors of the cafe were already coming into arms-length, so she held her hand out to grasp the nearest doorknob.

 _Rattle, rattle_ , was the sudden noise, and then the chosen doorknob was jiggling. Along with a sudden burst of chakra color, Kei took a step back in surprise as soon as the door was swinging open.

Tomoko herself was apparently the culprit, the scent of something coffee-related coming through before she blinked. "Eh?" The civilian inclined her head, surprise clear in her eyes before it morphed into a sparkle of shocked joy. "Kei! And, and Obito?" her voice was incredulous. "Hi!"

"Yo," Kei said slowly, waving to cover up the previous near-blunder. "What's up, Tomo-chan?"

Tomoko tilted her head again, frowning. "The sky?"

Obito proceeded to facepalm loudly. "Tomo-chaaaaaaaan!"

The civilian turned a light pink. "H-Hey, you asked 'What's up!' I just responded with a literal answer!" She shook her head, green hair ribbon batting her cheeks all the while, and it only took a moment for Kei to pinpoint the coffee smell to the basket hanging from Tomoko's exposed right wrist. "Anyways…" Tomoko coughed. "I _would_ hug you both right now, but you caught me in the middle of my 'Delivery Service.'"

The Dreamer blinked. **That's new.**

"Delivery Service?" Kei echoed. There was definitely a reference in there if she didn't know any better. "Tomo-chan, are you heading out somewhere?"

Tomoko only nodded happily. "To deliver banana-nut muffins! Wataru-jichan was apparently complaining about the lack of sweets, so I baked some to compensate!"

Of course. Of course. The basket of the aptly named muffins was obvious now.

 **If not for the** _**Pokémon** _ **attire, she would just need a broom and a name change to "Kiki" and then we'd be all set for a teenage witch.**

Obito was starting to drool over her shoulder. Wow, Obito. "T-Tomo-chan, do you have any extras…?"

The civilian gave a small start. "Um, not yet? But you both could follow me…?" she trailed off, looking hesitant as her chakra swirled yet again. "Just to see if Wataru-jichan can offer extras?"

It was a reasonable explanation, but Kei could not shake off the idea that Tomoko was getting nervous. Hell, the fact that her chakra was flickering like a fading candle did not help anything. "Alright, Tomo-chan, as long as it's no trouble," she said outwardly, crossing her arms. "Do you at least know where to go?"

Tomoko flushed a dark pink. "Um," she raised her other, non-basket-occupied hand to show a folded paper. "I have a map?"

"That's not all that reassuring, knowing you," Kei deadpanned.

"H-Hey, at least I have _something_!" the civilian squeaked in protest, fumbling with her hands all the while. "And—" she cut herself off. "Oh! Wait here! I forgot something!"

With that said, Tomoko immediately turned around, opened the bright red doors of the cafe, and disappeared behind them with a loud SLAM.

Obito was the only one to jump. "That was weird."

"Definitely," Kei agreed.

It only took another moment for the doors to nearly SLAM open again, and Tomoko was huffing as two new little white bags made their appearance in her map-holding hand. "I-I forgot that there were some leftover cookies!" She was holding them out in their direction as she smiled sheepishly. "Are you two alright with chocolate chip?"

Obito made a noise that was caught between a squeak and a happy grunt. "YES!" he proclaimed loudly, darting forward to take one bag. "Thank you, Tomo-chan! Can I eat them now?!"

"Y-Yes?"

That was all the signal the Uchiha needed before his bag was nearly ripped open to expose the sweets inside, and he was chomping away, smile wide all the while. "Tomo-chwan, ywor an anwgel!" he yelled in-between mouthfuls. "It'ws dewlicious!"

"Ahahaha…Obito, your manners…" Tomoko laughed sheepishly. "Thank goodness Kakashi and Sakumo-jichan like oatmeal and raisin cookies more." With that strange mutter out of the way, Tomoko finally turned to Kei, smile still on her face. Her chakra was shaking again. "Here you go, Kei. Here's your portion."

The white bag was somewhat crumpled at the edges where she held onto it, but when peering inside, the chocolate chips were melting, as if warm. Kei reached in, pulled out a small cookie, and took a bite.

"Sweet," she muttered.

It was better to enjoy the moment, for now.

Tomoko only beamed, her chakra for once stable. Almost welcoming too. "Is it good?"

Kei snorted before reaching over with her free hand to poke Tomoko's forehead. As soon as she yelped, Kei grinned. "Do you even need to ask, Tomo-chan?"

"Hey! It's an honest question!" With that, Tomoko was pouting. "Muuu, Kei, you _doof_!"

Kei threw her head back and laughed.

* * *

"Tomo-chan—"

"So, it should be around here…"

"Tomo-chan."

"We should've arrived by now…"

" _Tomo-chan!_ "

The civilian stopped and turned her head, blinking all the while. "What is it?"

Kei held back the heavy urge to sigh as Obito piped in for her. "Do you even _know_ where you're going, Tomo-chan? I could've sworn this is the same block we passed five minutes ago!"

Tomoko flushed a very dark crimson. The color had spread past her cheeks to the point of covering what little Kei could see of her ears past her dark black hair, making her look like a small pepper. "Um," she started, before hastily unfolding the paper in her hands to stare at, jostling her muffin basket all the while. "I thought so? I-I could've sworn it's around here…I even asked Mama to draw a map for me…" her voice cracked while her head hit the paper. "Please don't tell me we're lost…!"

Great.

Kei ended up sighing softly anyways. The mixed messages Tomoko's chakra was sending didn't help anything. From the feeling, it was a mix of panic and something along the lines of, "ohno, whatamIdoing, HELP." Intervention was necessary. "Tomo-chan, could I see that map?"

As if slapped, Tomoko stopped walking before extending a hand towards her, paper clutched between her fingers. "Thanks," Kei said, before gingerly prying the paper from the tight grip and folding back any creases. The map was simple enough, outlining what looked like the Konoha shopping district with boxes and lines, it was only the circled rectangle labeled, "Cook's Ninja Tools and Crafts," that had Kei questioning internally. She paused. "We probably should've taken a right at this block instead of a left."

"…Wait, really?" Tomoko squeaked, before taking a step back to peer over Kei's shoulder. "Oh, _darn it._ "

Obito facepalmed loudly. "Tomo-chaaaaan!"

"I-I'm sorry!" was the protesting squeal. "It's kinda hard to focus on direction when this is the first time in a while that someone's actually following my lead! Not to mention, uh," Tomoko ducked her head, voice quieting to a soft mumble, "I…haven't exactly gone out much on my own aside from visiting the hospital, Miyako-bachan, and the Academy."

 _ **How**_ **has she survived this long?**

Kei kept the question stuffed in the back of her throat. "Tomo-chan, if you're having trouble, you could've asked."

There was then a small and defeated murmur over Kei's shoulder that sounded suspiciously like, "Fweh."

Kei shrugged her shoulders again. "C'mon, Tomo-chan. We can't keep Dad waiting on his sweets forever. You too, Obito. Don't want to be late again."

"Oi!" Obito was running up to the front of the group now, frowning playfully. "I'm not _that_ late!" He then paused. "All the time."

"Heh," Kei left the topic hanging to keep walking instead. "Whatever you say, Obito."

"KEI!"

Tomoko was clearly looking between the two of them as if they had grown a second head, so as soon as Obito started yelling something else, Kei looked back at the civilian with a grin. "C'mon, Tomo-chan! Don't be so stiff and relax!"

She blinked again, sparkles starting to shine for the first time that day in those blue eyes. Chakra rippled in what was clearly surprised happiness now. "O-Okay!" she squeaked, "W-Wait for me—!"

It didn't take long for Tomoko to run up to the group too.

The rest of the walk to Cook's Ninja Tools and Crafts was somewhat uneventful. At least this trip didn't have to take a month like some missions. Obito was gushing about something to Tomoko, something about hand-signs and the Fireball Jutsu, and the civilian was giggling, so it was a good sign. Aside from the same shaky chakra signature, Kei would've pegged everything to be normal.

She only stopped as soon as the sign in question was looming above their heads.

The large and green _crocodile_ display on said brown front sign was already a huge dead-ringer.

 **Does Konoha even** _**have** _ **large crocodiles?**

_Aside from the Forest of Death, maybe?_

Kei's eyes were already drawn to the shiny katana sitting in the front window underneath the "OPEN" sign written in red chalk, but she held any commentary back to open the door. "Tomo-chan? Do you want to go in first?"

The civilian's chakra jolted. "O-Oh, me?" Tomoko went, before stepping up to Kei's right side. "Sure?" It was a questionable reply, but it was something anyways, since Tomoko ended up walking in first.

Kei made sure to follow while holding the door open for Obito. The Uchiha gave her a bright grin in thanks while passing, and once everyone was inside, she closed it quickly.

Dodging the various hanging metal decorations was easier to do than think on anything else. From wired stars to hearts, displayed kunai, and even the occasional custom shuriken, which at closer look were five-pronged instead of the usual four, Kei glanced around before following her civilian friend. Tomoko-chan had seemed to finally relax, if her chakra was saying anything, having walked up to the front counter, basket in clear view.

Strangely, no one was behind the cash register, so before anyone could say anything, Obito included, Tomoko reached over and pressed the bell sitting at the register. "Hello?" she called softly. "Jim-san? Wataru-jichan? I have a personal delivery of banana-nut muffins for you!"

It only took a few seconds for the sound of stomping to register in Kei's ears, along with the ping of chakra-excitement, and then _Dad_ himself was rushing through the curtains covering the back door of the shop, a spark in his brown eyes. " _Muffins_?" he went incredulously, and the dorky expression on his face said everything. "Tomoko-chan, you were serious—!" his eyes zeroed in on the basket. " _Whoa_."

"They're still warm!" Tomoko added, raising her basket-totting hand for extra emphasis. "All for you and Jim-san!"

"Really, ojou-chan?" said a new voice, and Kei blinked as soon as another, newer chakra signature showed up in the area. Another second was all it took for a tall figure, almost a few centimeters taller than Wataru, to peer past the back curtain, blinking. The spiky black hair, tanned skin, and dark blue eye were enough to classify the man for an old shounen protagonist, but Kei didn't voice her questions on the black eyepatch. Whatever story that was behind that covered right eye was none of her business. "You didn't have to."

"Ehhh?" Tomoko pouted while raising her hand once more to deposit the muffin basket onto the counter. "But I wanted to, Jim-san! And Wataru-jichan requested!"

"Darn right you are, Tomoko-chan!" Wataru shouted, before winking at Kei. "Thank you all for coming by!"

Kei snorted. "No problem, Dad."

The still unnamed man smiled brightly while his eye swept across the room. Kei tried not to tense at how his stare lingered on her for a minute. "I'm guessing you brought your friends with you to the shop?"

Tomoko blinked, clearly not expecting the question, but took it in stride anyways. "Yeah! I'll introduce you!" Her now muffin-basket-free hand gestured to both Obito and Kei, and Kei put on her best casual smile. "This is Gekkō Keisuke—"

"Yo," Kei filled in.

"—And Uchiha Obito!"

"Hi!" Obito piped up with a nervous grin. "It's nice to meet you, uh—"

Wataru interrupted with a loud, "Jim Crocodile Cook, my boss!"

"Wataru," the now-christened Jim muttered with an exasperated smile. "I appreciate the enthusiasm but let _me_ introduce myself."

"Sorry! Couldn't help it!" was the reply, and then there was the tearing of a muffin wrapper.

"Haha," Jim went softly, eyebrow quirked. Still, the fond wave of chakra wasn't hard to miss, and he smiled again. "It's nice to meet you both. Just call me 'Jim,' and welcome to the shop. Feel free to look around and buy anything that's of interest." With that said and out of the way, he reached over to grab a muffin from the basket, glancing it over for a moment.

"Boss," Wataru mumbled around a mouthful of muffin, crumbs sticking to some of the stubble on his chin in the process, "They're not poisoned, y'know."

Tomoko blinked. " _Why_ would I put poison in muffins?"

Kei decided not to give that an answer and instead reached over to pat her friend's head. "Tomo-chan, you _don't_ want to know."

"Ehhhh?"

Obito snickered, just in time for Jim-san to take a large bite off the muffin top. "Hm," the man muttered, big smile coming up on his face. "These are delicious, ojou-chan." Once Jim had finished his mouthful, he turned towards Tomoko with the same smile. "Thank you."

"Thank you, Tomoko-chan!" Wataru added while grabbing another muffin.

Tomoko proceeded to sparkle, for lack of better words, smiling back. To Kei's surprise, she took a step back to bend her knees and curtsy, even holding up her skirt in what could be assumed as the old medieval way. "It was no problem at all, Jim-san, Wataru-jichan. Your enjoyment is the best payment I can receive."

Wataru then nearly spit out his mouthful of muffin. "Oh my god," was his most coherent, voiced thought before he started snickering. "It was our pleasure, milady!" And now he was bowing too.

Pfft.

Obito was starting to hold back laughter as Tomoko giggled, standing back up. "Of course, good sir! Baking is the least I can do!"

 **Are they taking something out of a** _**storybook** _ **?**

Kei shrugged her shoulders, smiling.

This was better than before, at least.

Jim took another big bite out of his muffin while leaning back against the other side of the counter, facing the back door. "Though, we still have another job to do, Wataru," was the order. "Don't take too long with the food." At least his chakra was swirling in what Kei could place as obvious amusement.

"Well, there's that too!" Wataru chimed in, still chewing a mouthful of his own, now half-eaten muffin to talk. "On the bright side, at least our customer is here to pick it up!"

Oh? "Who's the customer, Dad?" Kei asked without thinking.

Immediately, Wataru turned to her with a grin and what looked like his best impression of a sly shrug. "I think you met her already, Kei-chan!"

" _Her_ …?" Tomoko said slowly.

That was all the signal the group would get before Kei registered yet another chakra signature, with hints of the _Nine-Tailed Fox_ **. And, sure enough, red hair was blaring behind the curtain with a new shadow creeping up.**

Long red ponytail, Tailed Beast chakra, green Chunin vest — yep, it was Kushina. The one and only Uzumaki Kushina.

 **…Tomoko's going to panic,** the Dreamer deadpanned.

_Fuck._

"Whoa! I smelled something sweet, so I ran over! Jim-kun, Wataru-kun, what's going—" was her yell before her violet eyes narrowed in on the muffin basket and Kei's group in question. "Kei-chan! Obito!"

Obito let out a surprised sound akin to, "Whoa," as Tomoko meeped, hands going over her mouth.

"Hi, Kushina-san," Kei started instead with a small wave, because it was obvious from chakra-sensing that neither Tomo or Obito were up for it. "It's good to see you?"

"It's good to see you too, Kei-chan!" Kushina beamed. And Tomoko was clearly tensing up like a deer in headlights, which didn't do much to get her out of Kushina's range of vision. The redhead only had to turn her head a few _degrees_ to meet the civilian's eyes. "Oh, and who are _you_?" was the following coo, and a single second was all it took for Tomoko to be in Kushina's grabbing range for soft cheek pinching. "I haven't seen you around Minato's team! Are you Kei and Obito's friend?"

"Um, I—" Tomoko squeaked loudly while being pinched. "Fwam?"

"That's my _niece_ you're pinching there, Kushina!" Wataru proceeded to whine.

Jim proceeded to laugh nervously.

"Oh!" With all that being said and Tomoko's answer, it seemed to be enough as Kushina immediately pulled back to instead sit on her knees, facing the civilian with the same wide grin. "Now I recognize you! The hair ribbon on one strand and the blue eyes! You're Hoshino Tomoko-chan from Nagareboshi Cafe, aren't you? The pianist?"

The civilian really didn't seem all that up for the sudden bit of questioning but nodded anyways. "A-And you are…?" she said nervously.

"Uzumaki Kushina," the previous exuberance seemed to tone down from the sound of her voice as Kushina seemed to finally get Tomoko's unconscious message. She smiled a bit softer too, as she reached over to take one of Tomoko's hands. "Chunin of Konohagakure, and the Red-Hot Habanero. I think Minato mentioned me to you, Tomoko-chan?"

Tomoko's chakra flickered, as if in thought before it froze in place from the realization. "Th-then, you're K-Kushina-nee? The girlfriend of Minato-san?" she tried.

Kei blinked at the different honorific. From the looks of it, Tomoko wasn't expecting to use it, and judging by the various chakra signatures in the area, no one else was expecting her to do so either. Obito was clearly gaping around Kei's left side, mouthing to her, "What the heck is going on," as Kushina took on an embarrassed smile.

"Oh? Kushina- _nee_?" she repeated with extra emphasis, a hint of foxy mischievousness in the smile.

 **Here comes the rambling,** the Dreamer mumbled. **Should we stop her?**

_Do you have any ideas?_

The Dreamer only shrugged helplessly. **I would prefer not to be eaten by bigger, badder things. Tomoko might have this in the bag.**

Tomoko, meanwhile, turned a bright red. "Er, i-is that wrong? Oh gosh, I should've used '-san,' but you were so _pretty_ , and reminded me of someone, it kinda came out like that—!" she proceeded to cover her face with her remaining hand, shaking her head furiously. "Oh my gosh, Kushina-san, I'm so sorry! I can stop using it! Or just shut up!"

"Don't apologize, Tomoko-chan!" And now here came the bear hugs. Tomo didn't even have a chance to squeak before she was being squeezed, and Kushina was cooing again over the girl's head. "If you don't mind me, then I would love to be your 'Kushina-nee!' You helped Minato and I with Kakashi and Sakumo a year back, so we're even!"

"E-Ehhhh? Y-You were _there_?!"

Obito's jaw dropped to the ground as the resident Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki proceeded with the hugging/adoption process.

What an afternoon.

* * *

I was doomed.

I was so, gosh, dear to all gods, _doomed_.

Well, not entirely doomed. I somehow gained a new big sister akin to Vy's older female cousin back in the day through a very kind, _huggable_ Uzumaki Kushina, but there was something to be said about Kei and Obito — yes, _both of them_ — actively walking with me up into the house (which was past the cafe) and into my room for the expected talk.

Still. I had no clue what Obito said to Kei but judging by the small mutters exchanged between them every now and then when I wasn't looking, I didn't know what to think.

It was hard to not be tense, more so when trying to open the door.

Don't look at me like that, please. I had the key, I swear. It was even in my hand, and in the doorknob lock. It was just my sweaty hands and really the presence of _two_ Genin friends behind me that made the opening-door process a bit more difficult.

Okay, scratch that. Make that really difficult.

If Kakashi was here, he would definitely call me out on being clumsy. Or incompetent. In this case, he was completely right! Obito's case, I would definitely call _him_ out if Kei wasn't doing that already.

It took a few extra jiggles of the key in the door for Obito to speak up, albeit nervously. "Uh, Tomo-chan? Do you need help?"

"N-Not really!" I squeaked, still attempting to open my newest enemy of the household doorknob. "I think I got it!"

Kei's only response to my antics was a quirked eyebrow.

"I-I'm trying, really," I added, still focusing on the troublesome door in question to jiggle the key. "Lemme see…"

Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, the doorknob went unhelpfully. The key was starting to become warm in my hands from all my fumbling, and with each passing second, a part of me wanted to die more and more and _more_.

Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.

**Keyblade, Keyblade, where art thou…?**

"…Okay," I admitted slowly. And yes, my voice turned Minnie-Mouse-high-pitched again. Woo for embarrassment. "I think I might need some help. If that's okay."

The sound of a hand meeting a forehead ensued, and I didn't want to look behind me to figure out who it was. Instead, I waited a few more seconds before someone spoke up. And, sure enough, there was a sandal stepping up to my right side as a long-sleeve-covered hand took the key out from my sweaty grip. "Lemme get it then, Tomo-chan."

Of course it was Kei.

"D-Do you want me to move?" I squeaked, already raising my left slipper-covered foot in case if I needed to take a step back. "O-Or do you—"

"Tomo-chan, you're fine," Kei said coolly, not even fazed at the weird angle she was taking from leaning over my shoulder as she was fiddling with the doorknob. Apparently working around me was a thing now? "Just give me a second."

Jiggle, jiggle… _click_.

There it was. That _click_.

"Ah," Kei said slowly, taking the key out of the doorknob. "Got it." She put a hand on the knob, twisted it, and then pulled. Sure enough, the inside of the house was finally in view, and now another part of me was converted into the "Hey, Can I Die Now" Club. "Looks like you were holding the key in the lock a bit too loosely, Tomo-chan."

"Oh gosh…" My heart fell into my ribs. "I-I'm so—"

Kei sighed, effectively cutting me off. "Don't apologize, Tomo-chan." Even with the hint of what sounded like exasperation, two hands were pushing at my back and I found myself walking. Were Kei and Obito pushing me? "Let's just go get all those 'sads' out of you."

"Eh?"

I looked over my shoulder at Obito. Sure enough, he was using his left hand to push me forward, judging by the grip I felt on the small of my back, but when I caught his eyes, he grinned nervously before glancing away.

I gulped. The urge to ask was tugging at me harder than the thoughts that led to the "Hey, Can I Die Now" Club. I had to. "Kei?"

We were already halfway down the hallway leading to my room before Kei paused, her hand now around my shoulders. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Did…Did Obito tell you anything?"

The Uchiha's hand on my back immediately froze. "T-Tomo-chan!"

Kei rolled her eyes. "Just some things," she said, trailing off to almost purposefully make it vague while continuing to walk/push me forward. "Nothing world-devastating, but I wanted to see what was going on." She squeezed my shoulders. "So, if we need to talk, we're going to talk."

It was that last part that had me worried.

A mental hug was Hisako's response. **Tomoko-chan, it'll be okay. You can trust her. She's been here longer than anyone else for you, even me. Mom and Dad would still win in the time-regard, but hey. Do this for me, alright?**

_Hi…sako…?_

Her chin landed on my head, bopping it mentally. **Kei is not Ty. Repeat that for me, Tomoko-chan. Repeat after me. Kei is not Ty.**

_Kei is not Ty. Kei is not Ty. Kei is not—_

' _How childish_ are _you?'_

My heart froze.

**GODDAMMIT, YOU DIPSHIT OF A PAST ASS—**

I tried not to outwardly flinch at the memory and instead mentally repeat the mantra Hisako just gave me. _While_ ignoring Hisako's loud banter and consecutive fight with the memory that was _that_ friend.

Why were they haunting me? Why now?

_Kei is not Ty. I'm Tomoko, I'm not Vy. Kei is not Ty, Obito is not any of Vy's old family, I'm not in that old world anymore, I'm not Vy—_

"Tomo-chan?"

I sucked in a breath. The world in front of me swirled for a few seconds before it registered that I was clutching my kimono sleeves tight enough to nearly tear some of the lace, my stare directed at my slippers. My heart was beating hard now, and I didn't know the status of the "Hey, Can I Die Now" Club. All that registered was that someone was still holding onto my shoulders and calling my name, and I looked up.

"K-Kei? Obi?"

The two ninja clearly looked spooked, judging by their wide eyes, and Kei's hand squeezed my shoulders tightly. "You okay, Tomo-chan?"

I gulped in air. It would've been nice to say that I was but considering what just happened — Hisako had a lot of clean-up to do. "No," I said shakily. "N-No, not really. I thought I was, b-but right now I'm not."

Obito had somehow found his way to stand in front of me, and his look of distraught said everything. "C'mon, Tomo-chan," he forced on a smile while motioning to the — to _my_ room door — sitting behind him. "We're here for you now, so let's talk."

Kei squeezed my shoulders again in what was clearly now a side-hug.

I took a breath while leaning against her for some semblance of composure.

 **Tomoko-chan!** Hisako yelled amidst some memory-wrestling. **This is** _ **your**_ **life! If you want to share, go ahead! I've got your back!**

Then there was a loud CRASH.

_Huh?_

**NOW GET THE** _ **FUCK**_ **OUT OF MY CHARGE'S HEART, YOU GODDAMN ASSHOLE! YOU'VE SAID YOUR PART** _ **YEARS**_ **AGO ALREADY! SO SHUT THE FUCK UP!**

I tried not to focus on the feeling of my blood freezing. How was I supposed to share? How was I supposed to _start_?

I thought that my old life's baggage ended at a very old, dusty, and gross trauma and my past death. Hisako even thought that at one point. So then, why…

' _Grow up already, damn it.'_

Another loud CRASH sounded in a part of the mental library.

 **YOU SON OF A** _**BITCH**_ — **STAY DEAD AND GO BACK TO YOUR CORNER, DAMMIT!**

Why was Hisako being made to fight the illusion of the friend that both jumpstarted and _halted_ Vy's reality?

"Tomo-chan?"

Obito's voice this time. I took another breath before reaching up and slapping my cheeks hard. Despite Obito's subsequent protest of my name. I couldn't think about Ty right now. I couldn't get immersed in the memories again, not when essentially everyone else in the near vicinity of me, Kakashi and Sakumo-jichan excluded since they were out training somewhere, were waiting for an explanation.

I couldn't exactly go into the full details of reincarnation with Obito around, but…

The hand around my shoulders squeezed. "Tomo-chan? You in there?"

Kei this time. I looked up at her with the most honest smile I can muster. I could do at least that much. "I'm here. You don't have to keep calling me."

"What _can_ I do when you're out traveling in space?" Kei rolled her eyes again, but the gesture was sweet. "Now c'mon, we need to figure out what 'sads' are ailing you."

And she was pushing me into my room again, where Obito was already waiting inside to set up the talking table and seat cushions.

**You're not doomed, Tomoko-chan.**

_I wish I was?_

Hisako sighed. **I hate Ty. So much. Share as much about him as you need to. I'll just settle for beating up his mental partner here.** Extra emphasis was added with her patting a memory cloud with his picture strewn haphazardly in the fluff. **Have fun~!**

Lovely.

A part of me was already guessing that cloud was doomed.

* * *

My plan, although simple and rather…contrived bullshit, if I could call it that, as it was, was something.

Sharing what I could, but without giving any hints to reincarnation. Baggage was something, and even if I wanted to share _everything_ to get it off my chest, reactions were another thing. Vy had occasionally cried when Leo shared a bit too much, and knowing ninja and the number of skeletons in _their_ closets — no. I'm not going to give that much of a bag of flaming coals until it felt like my friends could handle it.

Kei already held a lot of her things to her chest, and Obito…well, he wasn't known as a black sheep of Konoha for nothing.

I worried, okay? Sue me.

Kei wasn't really looking like she wanted to pop the cap off the main can of worms first, judging by her perplexed face, so Obito apparently took it upon himself to do it instead. "So, Tomo-chan? Could you tell us what that was about?"

A sigh unintentionally left my lips. "…Which one? My near _meltdown_ or my apparent spacing out lately?" I filled in dryly.

Obito and Kei looked at each other, Obito resembling a deer in headlights way more than Kei at the moment. It was obvious, though, that my dry tone had caught both of them off-guard. Kei was the one to break the sudden silence with a soft, "Ahem," coughing into her right fist. "Either works," she said slowly, her face evening out to an unsure frown. "Only if you're comfortable with it, Tomo-chan."

"If you're not comfy about it," Obito piped in with an immediate raising of his right hand, "then you don't have to share, Tomo-chan! It is your thing!"

Dork.

 **Dork,** Hisako repeated.

I found myself smiling wryly. "But you two were still worried about me and came by to check on me, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah." Kei said, tilting her head with a confused quirk of her eyebrow. "Why wouldn't we?"

"We're all friends!" Obito finished. "And you're a bad communicator, Tomo-chan. Especially when there's something wrong."

Bulls-eye. Shoot it right in the heart, why don't you. I don't need my heart anymore at this point. Heck, why don't you two take it and carry it? It would be much better than the other thing Hisako was currently fighting with.

Yeah. I wasn't voicing that. Instead, I shrugged with the same wry smile. "It might be a long story, Obi, Kei. Or a ramble. I don't know. And I can't guarantee it's a happy one."

 _More so since Ty should be a part of what's supposed to be_ _**dead**_ **.**

I wasn't expecting Obito to be the first one to get up and scoot his cushion over to my side, his hand already reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. "We're ninja, Tomo-chan. And we're friends," his voice was soft with understanding and determination all at once. "I think we can handle it."

I looked over in Kei's direction, and the small crooked smile she was wearing said everything.

A soft, dry laugh left my lips. "Okay, okay, you two win. I don't think I'll ever win against you two. Just…just don't get too angry, okay?"

Obito and Kei shared another glance with each other before turning back to me with a shared, resolute nod.

I then took a breath and started it as honestly and vaguely as I could. "I…I had a friend. One friend, way before I got to know Kei." The mention of her name already had Kei tensing, and Obito too had frozen, judging by his fingers stilling against the shoulder of my kimono dress. "They…Their name was 'Ty,' and I think I _loved_ them. At one point."

 **Ain't** _ **that**_ **the tip of the goddamn iceberg,** Hisako grumbled.

Obito's hand was moving against my shoulder now, rubbing the blade almost solemnly. "And, and this 'Ty,' Tomo-chan," he paused, almost butchering that person's name to comedic effect thanks to the original Vietnamese pronunciation before he shook his head and squeezed my shoulder, "they betrayed you?" he filled in softly. "They hurt you, Tomo-chan?"

A bitter laugh left me instead of a proper reply. "W-Was it that obvious?"

"Tomo-chan, I live _alone_ ," Obito filled in instead, and I was already feeling the cold dread wash over me with the bluntness of his sentence. "And my clan doesn't exactly like me. I get it."

Kei was already scooting over to the both of us too, cushion and all. "What he said," she said dully, before her left hand was already resting over both of mine. "That guy hurt you, didn't they."

From the way the two of them said it, it was so _simple_. Hell, everything sounded so simple coming from them. I could've taken it like that, and left it lying, but I couldn't. "…Yeah. But, at first, they— _he_ didn't." My heart was already clenching in on itself at the pronoun, and I gulped in a breath. "It was only distance, silence, and—and my own _incompetence_ that it felt like I lost him."

I didn't have to look up to know that Obito and Kei were glancing at each other again. Probably exchanging some kind of conversation I couldn't hear or see, but it was something to think about. Better than this. "Tomo-chan," Kei squeezed my hands tightly, and I couldn't look up to meet her eyes. "You don't have to finish."

I shook my head. "It's my 'sads,' alright? I…I had to say them sooner or later. To at least tell you _why_ I worry so much." The prickle of tears at the corners of my eyes were familiar, but I blinked them away.

Vy was the one who had to cut Ty out of her life. And now Vy was dead. It should've meant that Ty would no longer affect the person she later became, but—

I covered my face with my hands, trying not to hit either Obito or Kei in the process. The tears were going to spill over at this rate, and I was just tired of crying so much. "I-I'm just _scared_ ," my voice cracked, "of losing both of you like I did Ty. Because I messed up. Because I didn't get what was going on."

' _What the hell is_ wrong _with you?!'_

Obito and Kei stayed silent. I didn't know whether to be grateful or suspicious anymore. Instead, all I knew of their listening were their constant presences near me.

"I know, now, that they—that _he_ can't hurt me, not anymore." My voice cracked again, almost sounding hysteric as I refused to look up. I knew I couldn't meet my friends' eyes right now. "But a part of me is just scared. Scared that I'm going to mess up again. Especially with everyone I know. Especially Kei."

"That's… _that's_ why you were silent, Tomo-chan?" Obito's voice was incredulous, but his hand had moved down to my back, rubbing it softly. "Ty was why you didn't say anything?"

I held back a sniffle by breathing in deeply. "I-If there's one thing Ty _ever_ taught me, it was to do things on my own. Not rely on anyone, and power on through."

_Because he never saw me as capable otherwise._

"But," a lump surfaced in my throat, and I tried to gulp in air through my hands to hide more sniffles, "for some reason, my heart kept comparing _Kei_ to him, and then I started worrying. Now here I am. A complete, trashy _mess_."

_Kei is not Ty, Kei is not Ty, Kei is not—_

A hand rested on my knee as Kei took a deep breath. "…In what _way_ did I remind you of them, Tomoko?"

Another eggshell walkway. Kei had used my full name too, and I didn't know what to think. Sure, Obito's hand on my back felt nice, but I still felt a shiver climb up my spine. "I-I think it was just the distance. The silence. A-And I know! You and Obito, and Kakashi, and Rin-chan," my voice was starting to break even more now as the tears were finally starting to trickle into the palms of my hands, "you all are ninja. We can't talk as much anymore, and life happens. But—"

"Tomo-chan?" Obito tried softly, almost tentatively.

Something in me snapped at that.

"I'm just _terrified,_ okay?!" I didn't even realize I was starting to yell. My heart was beating hard now, and my plan was already crumbling because the fear was real. The tears were all real. "I'm terrified of seeing you all go somewhere far, far away without me, or even _die_ because then I'd be all alone again! More so if it's _my_ fault!"

Obito breathed sharply. "Tomo—"

"Ty _hated_ me, Obi!" I was sobbing now. Goddammit. "Despised me! All because I messed up! Because I was too pathetic to realize what he was trying to say to me! Who knows if I'm going to do that again?! I…I can't." Snot was starting to build up in my nose as my voice was finally at breaking point. "I-I _can't_."

' _Stop making yourself out like the mouse that needs protection!'_

Mental arms immediately wrapped around my waist as Hisako's voice brushed my ear. **Tomoko-chan. Don't listen to his crap. It wasn't your fault that Ty turned out the way he did. Don't blame yourself for something someone else did.**

"The only way your mistakes are gonna get rid of me is if you literally poison muffins, Tomo." Kei said suddenly.

My heart froze again.

"…What?" I removed my hands from my face, despite how sticky they felt, and found myself looking into Kei's resolute black eyes as she grinned wryly. "Poison in food is _sacrilegious_! Kei, _why_ in all heck would I poison muffins?! You're—" My heart flew into my throat as I choked the realization out. "You're _Kei_ …"

 **Kei is not Ty, Tomoko-chan.** Hisako was humming now, a soft and unfamiliar tune. **See the grin she's wearing?**

Sure enough, Kei _was_ grinning, more crookedly this time. From the looks of it, it was as if Kei had won a trophy with how her grin turned softer in my direction. "Like I was saying. Unless you kill me, you're stuck with me. Sorry!"

"Pfffffft," Obito went behind me. His hand squeezed my shoulders once more while he added a cheery, "I second that!"

The tears were trickling down my cheeks again, this time unabated by my shaky hands. I didn't deserve these two. I didn't deserve friends like these two. "…You…You really mean that?"

Kei was already offering a handkerchief in my direction with a nod. "Absolutely."

Obito squeezed my shoulders. "Definitely."

My heart beat once as another sob left my throat. "That's—" _You two can't be serious_. Instead, what left me was a small, "You two realize you said the one thing, that _one_ thing, Ty never did?" A smile was climbing up my face, as shaky as it was. "I thought you were going to _hate_ me like he did…At least, he never said otherwise…" A bitter laugh left my throat again.

' _That was a lot of time gone to bad use. Where_ were _you?'_

Kei quietly offered the handkerchief again so that it was in reaching distance. "…Tomo, he wasn't worth you."

"He was an _ass_ ," Obito added loudly, opting to hug me from the side instead once my shoulders started to shake. "And Tomo-chan, we wouldn't _hate_ you like he did. You're our friend! Why would we?"

"What he said," Kei added, still pushing the handkerchief towards me.

I sniffled before reaching out to take the small piece of cloth. It wasn't much, but once I did, Kei smiled again, exhaling softly. "Tomo-chan, I have a whole list of people I'd kill and die for. And you've been one of them since the day we met."

My heart froze yet again.

 **There it is.** Hisako said fondly. **Four years does something, dear.**

"K-Kei…" I wiped at my face with the handkerchief, trying harder to not cry, but god, the tears were hard to wipe away when they just kept _coming_. "N-Now I dunno if I'm worth _you_ …"

" _Ohmigod_ , Tomo-chan." Obito bonked his forehead on my shoulder, and I found myself blinking. "Not this again—!"

A tired "Eh?" was my best attempt at a reply as clean-up, both physical and mental, was still in progress.

"Tomo-chan," Kei sighed while shrugging her shoulders, having opted to put a hand on my knee as a comforting gesture. "We can both be trash people. Selfish, even! Whatever! Those aren't unique flaws."

Eh?

Hisako merely patted my head while passing me in the mental library, broom in her other hand.

Kei continued, almost casually. "Being self-deprecating is a problem only when people make it one. Same with being energetic, or quiet, or whatever else. That's all fine." She huffed a breath before grinning at me. "You're my friend. The end."

Once the words settled in, my heart finally started beating normally as Obito squeezed my side for another hug.

_It's okay…_

My Nobody opted for another hug in exchange for dropping her broom, as she finally let out what sounded like a sigh of relief.

Then, Hisako deadpanned, **Kei's horrible at speeches.**

 _Eh?_ Where did that come from?

"Kei," Obito said finally, "You're horrible! You stole everything I was going to say!"

Did he even realize he was unintentionally continuing my Nobody's sarcasm-filled streak?

Kei only stuck her tongue out at him while quirking an eyebrow. "At least it got through, right?"

"Sheesh!" Obito puffed his cheeks out in protest, but he didn't let go of me, instead squeezing my sides to tighten the hug. "Hog all the spotlight."

It took a moment for me to register that the air was warm again. I inhaled slowly. "…Obi?"

"Hah," he mumbled dryly, before bonking his head with mine. Ow. "Tomo-chan, Kei's right, y'know. I feel the same way. We're all friends, and we're going to stay friends unless someone turns out to be a jerk. And so far, we have a good record." He hugged me again. "Don't worry so much."

The tears were finally stopping as I sniffled again, disbelief running through my voice. "…Really?"

"Really-really, Tomo-chan," he accentuated it with another soft bonk of my head. _Ow_. "No need to cry when we're not going to leave you."

"I-It's kinda hard to stop crying when you two just said the cheesiest things with the most honesty I've heard…!" But I was laughing, and it felt liberating. Almost free. "You two are _doofs._ "

I didn't have to look up to know the ninja were smiling. "We're _your_ doofs, Tomo-chan," Obito said proudly, and then somehow, I was in the middle of a group-hug. Obito at my side and Kei covering my front in a mess of pre-pubescent arms. "We're your doofs."

Kei snorted above my head, but I didn't have the heart to complain.

All that mattered, for now, was really taking in the reality I had.

Hisako sighed softly. **You're lucky, Tomoko-chan. You're very lucky to have them. Treasure them.**

I already knew that. It was why I was hugging back as much as I could too.

* * *

"Tomo-chan, are you sure you're okay?"

I made sure to nod with as much vigor as I could in Obito's direction. The tears were drying on my cheeks, but they weren't flowing anymore, and it was something. My kimono dress wasn't wet, and as long as I stopped by the restroom to wash my face, I would be completely okay to head back out to be Nagareboshi Cafe's pianist again.

It felt okay.

Still, Kei was glancing at me with a quirked eyebrow, and I found myself smiling at her anyways. "Do…do you and Obi have free time right now, Kei? After this?"

She blinked at me. "Yeah, but why? Is there something else you need, Tomo?"

I shook my head this time. "Not really. I was hoping if you two could stay back for a few more minutes."

Obito and Kei shared another look before turning back to me, eyes saying their questions already.

I smiled again, feeling a bit lighter than before. "I was hoping if I could play you two something. Or," I gulped while shrugging my shoulders helplessly, "maybe sing you something."

Obito's eyes widened first. " _Sing_?" he started incredulously. "Tomo-chan, you don't have to—"

"But I want to," I finished, feeling the familiar heat of sheepishness flood my veins and cover my cheeks. It probably would've been easier if Obito didn't pose the question, but oh well. He had every right to be worried. "You two helped me out a lot today, and I want to give something back."

Kei stared at me for a few seconds before reaching over and poking my forehead. "As long as it doesn't tire you out, Tomo, then go ahead," she said dryly, a small yet tight smile on her face. It almost looked like she was forcing it if not for the glint in her eyes. "We'll stick around then."

I beamed back as best as I could. "Thank you."

We did eventually make it down to the part of the house that was Nagareboshi Cafe. It was late afternoon, but I don't think anyone cared. Heck, not a lot of the customers minded the civilian and her two Genin friends passing through, but Mama and Papa's insightful stares into my back seemed to hint at the fact that they knew. Then again, I don't know if Kei or Obito ever used a privacy seal in the entirety of the talk we had together, so it might stay a question mark for today. Maybe.

Instead, I made my way to the piano and ignored the gazes of everyone but Kei and Obito. The hustling of what sounded like chairs being pulled over sounded once I took my seat at the piano bench, and then I could make out Kei and Obito's figures sitting on my left and right sides respectively.

"You sure about this, Tomo-chan?" Obito asked finally, clearly caught between staring at me and fidgeting in his seat. "You _did_ do a lot today."

"Like I said earlier, Obi," I smiled at him. "I'm fine. I want to do this."

I met Kei's questioning stare with a warm smile before I pushed back the piano cover. The black and white keys shined almost in greeting as the lighting from above reflected off them, and I touched the middle C key with my pointer finger.

I closed my eyes. "Pitchi Pitchi Voice, Live Start," I whispered to myself. Then I got into position and started to play.

It was a slow, almost calming ballad. If anything, the song could've easily lulled anyone to sleep with thoughts of the sea.

I just started singing the familiar lyrics that made Vy feel like a mermaid so long ago.

" _The rainbow wind blows at a far-off coast._

_Before dawn, there was a melody I heard._

_It's a very nostalgic song!_

_The birds that fly towards the eastern sky_

_now escape to the treasure island using this shortcut._

_Where the paradise of the seven seas lies_

_After the stormy night, to tell you my love, I will be born again_

_Even if there comes a day where everyone_

_Is to journey away from here,_

_As long as we sing the melody of the seven countries,_

_I'll never forget."_

It had been 10 years since I last sung these songs. My voice might've even cracked a little. But they still brought warmth with their words. I still remembered. Heck. They still made me feel like that little girl who enjoyed seeing mermaids sing in the name of their loved ones.

Why wouldn't I share them with friends, then?

It was a new life. It was a new start. It felt like they needed to come back to commemorate the occasion.

" _On the morning you were born into this world, the bell of blessing rang._

_People are born embracing just a single treasure._

_Don't forget the feelings from that day. My Dear Songs are flowing in my heart._

_In the midst of our journey, we aim for the land of the sun._

_Without a map, we head to the Promised Land._

_This overflowing story will change into an endless future._

_I'm sure I'll grant a lot of dreams, so..._

_Smile!"_

Once the last key rode out its sound in the air, I took a breath, moved my hands away from the piano, and opened my eyes to look around. Kei and Obito were staring at me with warm smiles, glints of something in their eyes.

"That was _pretty_ , Tomo-chan," Obito said.

"Nothing else I can add to that," Kei added, before standing up from her chair to sit next to me on the piano bench. I wasn't expecting her to wrap an arm around my shoulders to pull me in for yet another side-hug. "Thank you, Tomo."

I leaned against her side, closing my eyes again. "You're welcome."

Hisako grinned softly. _**Love Shower Pitch**_ **, right?**

I hid a snort once Obito got the same idea to come over and hug me while sitting on the piano bench too. It wasn't hard to miss Kakashi and Rin-chan sitting at a table nearby, watching with Mama and Papa. They seemed comfortable, and I didn't have the heart to get up and greet them with how the day was starting to come down now. Not to mention, Kei and Obito being kinda snuggly.

Then again, if I didn't know any better, it felt like Sakumo-jichan was around somewhere too, and the Cafe, despite its hub-bub of customers, sounded quiet.

This was my life now. And, considering who was with me—

I puffed a breath while reaching over to hug Kei and Obito back.

I'd like to think Ty would've been jealous. At least.

The afternoon sun slowly set behind us as I closed my eyes to imagine the sound of the sea and the splash of a mermaid tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: *insert soft curtsy here* I believe this about wraps up what Lang and I kinda concluded as the "Picking Up Loose Ends" transition arc. Next chapter has Team Minato's second try at the Chunin Exams, so there's that. Then, we'll see how things go.
> 
> Now, I wasn't expecting the chapter to turn out this way. But, Tomoko dug her heels in, and with Ty being someone mentioned in the previous chapter, let's just say I had to address him as well as set up something for the future. Upu.
> 
> Of course, thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far, whether by favoriting, following, or reviewing. It's been a good journey, and I'll keep writing until the end.
> 
> For now, this is Vy, aka Writer-and-Artist27, signing out to plan for the next chapters and write more of Civilian Pianist. See you all later.


	21. Flower in Full Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again, and yes, I say this enough already, but I worry about copyright stuff. So. I don't own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is from Fushigi Yuugi's Japanese-only game, specifically the song titled Towa no Hana. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any English translation of the lyrics, more so since I only found the song via a Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles AMV (which is a completely different series, and people in the YouTube comments seem to think the song belongs to that instead of Fushigi Yuugi, weirdly), but since I understand some Japanese, I can tell the song is about how time does not change the feelings of the heart, especially love. Meeting and coming together in spite of hardship. And, well, considering the ninja world, that's a good message to have, right?
> 
> Now for an alternative song choice, with actual translations, I'll point you to the opening of Yuki Yuna is a Hero: Hero Chapter, aptly titled Hanakotoba, or Flower Language in the literal English Translation. I've found that the song being sung by all the main girls' seiyuus is really poignant, especially when considering the themes of death and rebirth in Yuki Yuna, despite its ableism when it comes to magically curing disabilities. *sigh* Still, despite some of my personal qualms with the franchise, the music still shines, and the themes of the translated lyrics go really well with Towa no Hana.
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 21: Flower in Full Bloom_

With the next autumn came the next Chunin Exams. Birthdays were both simple and hectic, but I could go into that another day. My main worry was figuring out a proper good luck charm to send my ninja friends off with.

Yes, yes. No more dirty hair ribbons in this household. I already saw Kaoru nearly beat a running Kenshin with a bokken back in the days of the old world for his bloodying her favorite blue ribbon, and I knew I would not be doing that to Kei. Or anyone else in particular, really. Unless you count bullshitty aliens and corrupt politicians.

…Ahem. Anyways.

My fellow ninja housemate only sighed when I was starting to search my closet. "Tomoko, you might be overreacting," Kakashi deadpanned. "Or overthinking this."

"Coming from the boy who made Chunin at age 6?" I ended up snarking back, still sticking my head around to find _something_. "I have _every_ right to be worried."

And you. Don't fight me on this.

Being the resident civilian friend of Team Minato means getting worry rights.

Kakashi had puffed an exasperated breath but didn't seem to be up to retorting. "Whatever makes you feel better," he said finally from the doorway. "Do you need anything?"

"Er," I said, because I was not expecting that. Instead of replying immediately, I stood up straight to look around and prevent further crouch burn from searching my closet. "Well, are you up for being a soundboard, Kakashi? I have ideas."

His only visible response was a quirked eyebrow. "Go on."

Hooray, he was interested!

"What's a good thing to give to a ninja who wants to be Chunin?" I started honestly with a small shrug of my shoulders. Really, with ninja, I was quickly discovering that honesty was the best way to start something. Too much paranoia could really disillusion someone, anyways. Or just worry someone like Kei and Obito, considering how fast they caught onto my _last_ issue. "Because your team is going into the Exams for their second try, and I worry. Especially considering they didn't make the finals last time."

"A plethora of traps and trust that they'll not die?" Kakashi answered flatly.

 **LOVELY.** Hisako yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. _**That's**_ **one way to start things.**

I tried to not focus on the sensation of my heart falling through my rib cage and into my stomach, and instead smiled as honestly as I could. It was shaky and not all that confident, but it did do something in keeping me from yelling into the sky from exasperation. "Kakashi, that's a fine idea if not for me being a civilian. And being limited on allowance."

 _ **Despite**_ **how generous it can be!** Hisako added loudly. **Seriously,** _ **who**_ **would question the pianist cinnamon roll walking into an armory, asking to buy a** _ **sword**_ **?**

_Hisako._

**What?**

_That's not a pretty image. And why am I a cinnamon roll?_

My Nobody only huffed loudly, crossing her arms while falling back on a suddenly-materialized arm chair. **You** _ **are**_ **a cinnamon roll, dear. Fight me.**

Why _would I fight you?_

 **It's an idea! Don't question me on this. It's as simple as** _ **fact**_ **that you are a cinnamon roll.**

I decided to conclude that my Nobody was weird.

Outwardly, Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck almost sheepishly as a response to my initial reply. "Ah. Sorry."

"I-It's okay." I laughed nervously. "We're…we're really awkward housemates, aren't we?"

"It's much better than reigning in new Genin," he shrugged. I couldn't help but think that was also his general opinion at the idea of socializing. "And, Tomoko, Sensei wouldn't have put them in the Exams if he didn't have the confidence that they would succeed." Even with what little I could see of his face past his mask, his stare in my direction seemed to soften. Or was it just me deluding myself? The thought did sound nice though. "Don't worry so much."

"A-At least I'm being honest about it," I found myself laughing again, my voice cracking with the gesture. "I can't help but worry, okay? I love you all very much and I want to see you all safe and _alive._ "

My honest and heartfelt statement clearly threw Kakashi off guard, because a soft pink came over what little I could see of his cheeks for a second. "H-Hm," he muttered, before turning away and crossing his arms over his chest. "That's new. For you."

Huh? I blinked. "Kakashi, you've heard me say, 'Daisuki,' to Kei. It's not that new. Why not say it to you and everyone else?"

He just shrugged, and the gesture seemed almost forced. Somehow. I didn't know what to make of it no matter how much time I spent staring. "That's the problem. You've _only_ said it to Kei. Why change it now?"

I wasn't expecting that. Even with the frown on my face, I closed my eyes to think on it.

Hisako raised a hand energetically amidst my silence. **Ninja world antics? Self-defense training? Getting the proper** _ **hugs**_ **you needed for this entire time?**

They all sounded like nice and…reasonable options. Don't get me wrong, my Nobody could be _weird_ , but that didn't mean she wasn't _helpful_. It was just trying to water down the choices she gave me while making sure Kakashi wouldn't get suspicious. As of right now, only _Kei_ and Yamanaka Inoshi knew of Hisako's existence, and breaking that to Kakashi, who was, from my view, by the way, _still_ trying to get away from the shadow of the White Fang's legacy — yeaaaah, _no_.

I might have issues, and now more willing to share hints for the sake of my mental health, but that didn't mean dropping more weight on a housemate's plate. Especially a housemate who had enough to deal with.

Outwardly, I took a breath. It wouldn't be good to keep Kakashi waiting on an answer and spacing out could only result in so much staring from the outside. Time to talk. I opened my mouth while shrugging. "Because we're getting older? Because you all are going out more often to what I assumed was the front lines, and I worry?"

Kakashi gave me an incredulous stare for a few moments. " _That's_ it?" he said.

I blinked back at him. Did I just confuse him? What left me as a reply instead was, "That's it." I didn't mean to make it sound like a question, but my next statement turned out to be one anyways. "I mean, is there any other reason I would have?"

Kakashi only placed his forehead into his open hand, sighing.

 **He just made it out like he found the Holy Grail of answers and he's not happy with it.** Hisako crossed her arms while jutting her chin out, almost defiantly. Was she agitated? **What does he want? The** _ **Truth**_ **?**

I tried not to think about the little black ball in a flask getting dragged away to what could essentially be Hell and shook my head. "I mean, Kakashi, serious thing, okay?"

He tilted his head at me while crossing his arms over his chest. "Uh-huh," he said flatly.

I just continued with the random thought thread Hisako left for me in her funk. Because apparently, she could do that. I dunno. "You, Kei, Obi—" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that, but I kept going, "—Rin-chan, Gai-kun, Haa-chan, and even Sakumo-jichan, you're going to see a lot more of the world than I ever will. But that doesn't mean the world is all pretty. You're going to see blood and a _lot_ of death," which really, was already a pleasant thought in my head considering the _last_ time I saw my own blood, "and even if I hate it, I just want to let you all go out there _knowing_ that I've said that you all are appreciated and loved. Because I don't want to let you go and possibly _die_ out there knowing that I didn't say that much."

Kakashi turned a light pink again as his eyes widened. "Ah," he said, coughing into his fist. "That's a lot to take in."

For some reason, I couldn't help but feel slightly agitated at his reaction. Was it that hard to accept? Or was it just the ninja world proving through Kakashi, _once again_ , that it was crapsack bullshit and if not for Kei and so many others, I would want to have nothing to do with it?

Once I could think I was okay with this, another thing comes in to remind me that I would never be.

 **EITHER WORKS, TOMOKO-CHAN!** Hisako yelled.

Lovely. Just _lovely_.

Being forcefully taken away from your family the _first_ time was bad enough. This was slightly worse.

No. Possibly _worse_ -worse.

Hisako fell back into a new, gigantic armchair with extra exaggerated flourish. **YAY FOR CRAPSACK HUMAN BULLSHIT.**

"I don't trust war, Kakashi," I ended up saying instead, almost like an excuse if not for the slight bit of heat seeping into my voice. "And I would prefer sending you all off with a lighter and honest heart than my recent heavy urges to cry."

My Chunin housemate only winced at that. Guess my argument went through without a hitch.

"See?"

"Yeah," he said dryly. "I see your point."

It was then that I noticed his slumping shoulders and immediately shrunk back. I said too much. Frig. Common sense should've kicked in sooner. And this was why I didn't want to vent to my ninja friends that much in the first place. My problems with the world _involved them_ , and I sure as hell didn't want to be the cause of some new insecurity. "I'm sorry, Kakashi, I didn't mean to say all that like I was berating you or something."

"No," he raised a hand in my direction, stopping me from continuing my thought. "It's fine. You brought up a good point. I…" he scratched the back of his head, looking away. "I just thought that you didn't trust us."

What?

Hisako sat up in her armchair with a loud and pretty obvious start. **What? Wait,** _ **really?**_ **Seriously? Was he being** _ **serious**_ **just now?**

"Kakashi…" I immediately shook my head. "It's not that. I…" My heart beat hard against my ribs. At this point, Hisako was already thrown into a new loop, and Common Sense wasn't exactly working either. Honesty it is. "I just worry. A lot. That's it."

He snorted softly. If not for the tone of the sound, I would've taken it as a snort of disbelief my — Vy's — old dad used to do when he wasn't inclined to take that brother's side. Instead, Kakashi took a step forward to look at me with a more focused eye. "Alright," he said, his tone almost — almost softer again. Huh? Was I imagining it? "But really, Tomoko. Kei, Obito, and Nohara should be fine. They'll come back."

I wasn't expecting him to reach over and poke my forehead through my bangs. Hard too.

As expected of such a gesture, I stepped back with a wince. "Ow!"

 **Great way to get through a rock.** Hisako deadpanned. **A** _ **poke**_ **. A single** _ **poke**_ **. Tsunade would be proud! She has a disciple already waiting! Or** _ **something**_ **. Damn, I wish Kishimoto explained** _ **why**_ **she cried when Canon 'Kashi died to bullshit!**

I tried to ignore Hisako's commentary and instead focus on my housemate. "K-Kakashi?"

He snorted again, a fond tone to the gesture this time. "Don't worry." I wasn't expecting a clear masked _smile_ in my direction. Did…did Canon Kakashi ever do that? As a kid? "They'll be fine. Besides, Tomoko, they're 'Team Awesomeness.'" And I could've sworn I heard a hint of sarcasm accompanying the title, but Kakashi continued on while reaching over to rest a hand on top of my head. "If Obito's up for bragging about that, then they'll be safe. And alive."

With that said by who I originally thought as the coldest Chunin in existence, my heart could've easily swelled to the size of a skyscraper, if I could say that much. But the air, the room, it all felt fuzzy and _warm_ , and I felt myself smiling for real. Hisako was sighing a puff of relief too, so there was that. "Okay," I said, my voice soft. "Alright then."

I didn't have to say, _I trust you._ From the look in Kakashi's eyes, it was like he already knew what I was thinking.

It felt like something was already changing.

Kakashi shrugged softly before pulling his hand back and shoving it into his pants pocket. "So," he started, voice sounding, well, _cooler_ this time. Not really more stoic, but even. "You needed to find something for a prospective Chunin, right? I can think of something." He turned around to where I could only see his back, facing the hallway from my door opening with a small sigh. "Let's just go and talk to Dad for some more ideas."

By the time he started to walk, I was already blinking and trailing after him. Because, gosh, ninja are fast. Even when _walking_.

"H-Hey, Kakashi! Wait for me—!"

I did it all with a smile on my face.

* * *

The same exam hall in the Academy. The same pale-yellow hallways. Heck, there seemed to be the same people from the last time, even.

And, whoop-de-doo, I had the same goddamn _nervousness_.

Thankfully, I wasn't _motion-sick_ like last time, but gosh, I wanted to go and melt into a puddle because this worry was getting ridiculous. It was just heavy, discomforting, and, as canon Shikamaru would have put it, _troublesome._

 **Don't say shit like that, dear. I don't want to think about** _ **you**_ **dying.**

… _Sorry, Hisako._

My Nobody only sighed. **Work on the emotional circuits, dear. The emotional circuits. We need to get you into meditation as a** _ **daily**_ **routine. Seriously.**

"Tomoko," Kakashi muttered discretely over my head, his hand lingering on my left shoulder. "You've been in this place before. Don't be so tense."

I nodded as much as I could, probably looking as _not_ -tense as I could afford to be since my face was currently burning like all Hell had fallen. The small blue storage scroll of gifts and supplies was clutched in-between my sweaty hands since I didn't want to flat out drop it or _lose_ it in my fumbling. That didn't change how there was a _lot_ of people, and not seeing any familiar faces made me shake in my sandals.

The occasional glance my direction from passing ninja didn't help anything.

If you're looking at me weirdly, I'll just say, "Hitoshi Natsumi-san," and put it at that. Bad experiences are _bad_ experiences.

"Relax," Kakashi added just as softly, squeezing my shoulder with the same hand. "Tomoko, breathe and _relax_."

Instinctively, I found myself obeying. I opened my mouth, inhaled as much as I could with my lung capacity, and breathed out in a similar motion. "H-How's that?"

"Better," he said matter-of-factly, but there was a small hint of amusement as his other hand pushed at my back. "Now stop standing there. The Team's up ahead."

And there went all my sense of composure. Woo. I forced myself to breathe again through my nose this time to hide any sense of crying. Also to get myself to move. I couldn't sit here forever, waiting for someone else to assert themselves in my place. I had to do something. I had to—

 **Tomoko-chan, if you start going on about being "useful" again, I'll have to pull out something on you.** Hisako said hotly. **No more holding onto these burdens—** she gestured to three large rocks that suddenly showed up in the library aptly labeled, "Trauma," "Regret," and "Blame," in that order with extra flourish **—and. Be. Confident!**

Hisako proceeded to _punt_ each giant rock like a soccer ball while huffing. **You. Can. Do. This!**

 _She has a point. I can't refute that._ I gulped as soon as the crowd started to thin. There was definitely more room to walk now, so it was a good way to stretch my legs, but all I could find myself doing was staring at my sandals while walking, trying to find _something_ to familiarize myself with in the floor. That is, if floor tile could let me do that. Kakashi's hand on my back was really the only guiding thing I had, so I relied on it as best as I could without trying to fall behind.

One tile, two tiles, three tiles, four tiles—

There was a very distant, yet distinct mental SLAM. It sounded like a door, from the looks of it. **Tomoko-chan. Why?**

I gulped _. Why what?_

Hisako sighed loudly, facepalming hard enough to leave a red hand mark on her head. _**Why**_ **are you counting floor tiles? Dear, dear,** _ **dear**_ **. You don't have to do that when Team Minato is literally coming up right in front of you!**

 _What._ That was all the signal I had before my forehead _literally_ collided with a jacket-covered shoulder since I wasn't looking up. It was almost a miracle I didn't drop the scroll in my hands, because the momentum would've made me do it otherwise. Woo.

**Tomoko-chan, Crash into Hello. Overused trope, my charge. This is just silly.**

_Coming from_ you _, yes!_

Hisako only huffed, shaking her head while shrugging helplessly. **Says the girl who just did the trope I'm talking about.**

Outwardly, pain was shooting through my head, and just. _Ouch_. Wasn't really looking forward to that.

"Ow!" I went instinctively.

" _Oof_ ," went a gravelly voice.

Wait. I _knew_ that voice. I rubbed my head to help get out any residual pain before looking up, and once my mind was registering the blue hitai-ite bandana and messy black cowlicks, I was already finding myself turning red from the embarrassment.

"K-Kei!" I squeaked.

My reincarnation buddy only raised an eyebrow at me before resting a hand on the top of my head. White-blue jacket, sheathed kodachi on her back, and mole under her left eye. Yep. It was Kei. "Yo, Tomo," she said casually, apparently not at all fazed at the previous "Crash into Hello" that just happened. "Good to see you."

 _Uuuugh_. Out of all the people I had to encounter first, why did it have to be _Kei_ who found me fumbling for all hell? I wanted to go hide in a corner if not for the fact that (1) Kakashi was still right behind me, and (2) Kei, plus Obito and Rin, were in the clear vicinity of the area and I wouldn't be able to run even if I wanted to. Plus, (3). I loved these dorks. Kinda hard to run in the first place. Still, thanks to the efforts of sheer _awkwardness_ , I just threw my arms around her middle and hid my face into her jacket. I didn't have a better greeting than that. "G-Good to see you too…!"

"Hah," Kei went dryly, but the hand on my head still went on to stroke my hair. "You found us yet again, Tomo-chan, congratulations."

I pulled away to give her some distance while also taking in the appearances of my friends. Ninja mesh, kunai holders, even shuriken pouches. Aside from splashes of blue and the occasional bit of purple from Rin, my friends were really starting to look like ninja. Not that they weren't before, but there was something about their appearances right now that seemed to encourage the start of tears.

We were growing up, weren't we?

 **Time flies, Tomoko-chan.** Hisako murmured, just as soft.

"I feel like _I_ should be the one saying congratulations when you three pass these Exams, but it's only the start of these Exams so far, and I'm nervous in my boots," I ended up saying instead.

Rin-chan's eyes widened in my direction from the surprise as Obito glanced at me _once_ before snickering.

"Tomo-chan," Kei said, voice still dry in spite of the smirk on her face. "You're not wearing boots."

"You _get_ what I mean!" I yelled, throwing my hands into the air, scroll and all, because gosh, now all my nervousness was turning into irritation, and I didn't need this right now, but _goddammit,_ Kei was a dork and I hated that I loved her sometimes. "Gosh darn it, Kei!"

She only chuckled a quiet, "Hehe," before sending another crooked, dorky smile my way. "There go all the nerves, right?"

Surprised, I lowered my arms with a small, "What?"

 **…She did that,** Hisako said slowly. **Just to get you to unwind?** A long pause followed once Hisako finished.

Once the mental silence dragged on for a few more seconds, I blinked. _Hisako?_

Then my Nobody started laughing up a storm. **BAHAHAHA! BRILLIANT WORK, KEI! YOU JUST WON A MILLION DOLLARS IN MY BOOK!**

My face started taking on more qualities of a tomato now. Lovely. Embarrassment galore, welcome back. I wasn't expecting you. Again.

Obito officially started holding his stomach and laughing too. Just, just, _lovely_. More laughter. "O-Obi—!" I squeaked out in protest. And yup, my voice just cracked too. This was just getting _lovely_. "Hey—!"

"S-Sorry, _haha_ , Tomo-chan," Obito kept snickering all the while, standing up to wipe at his eyes. "You just did the _same_ thing when, _pfft_ , when we first met!"

"Obito," Rin interrupted quietly, almost reprimanding if not for the bright smile on her face. Which, by the way, was hard to miss. At all, really. Or the shaking hand she put on his shoulder, because of course she was starting to giggle herself.

And, whoop-de-doo, Kei was laughing too. And, wait.

I turned around a small margin only to see Kakashi himself turn away from me, his shoulders shaking and a hand going up to the mouth area around his mask.

Huh. Another thing I shared with Vy: I was apparently _really easy to tease._

 **CAN'T DENY THAT, DEAR.** Hisako raised the Oblivion Keyblade almost like a trophy for extra emphasis. Or something. I had no clue anymore. If I looked at her enough, she could've made a very silly musketeer. **You're a** _ **cinnamon roll**_ **. And an** _ **open book**_ **.**

I just covered my face with my hands, because I could've sworn steam started rising from my ears. The heat was on. Maybe I was starting to become an oven too. Lovely. Just _lovely_. "You all _suck_."

"Hn," Kakashi snorted, and then he pushed me forward again with the same hand on my back. "And yet you still stay with us anyways."

"I can't deny that." I muttered weakly. Because I failed at being an unmoving rock.

Obito laughed one final laugh before I heard the padding of sandals hitting tile. "Hey~! We're _your_ doofs, Tomo-chan. You're stuck with us!" And woo, now I was being squished in a hug. Extra note that Obito was one of the few Uchiha, if not the _only_ Uchiha I knew, that was snuggly. And with that in mind, it was hard to stay frustrated and embarrassed since he was also _warm_. And welcoming.

Don't question me on this, I just like hugs, okay?

I kinda melted into his friendly hug. Essentially. Not much else to do aside from standing like a stone statue, and that was not an option in my book. "Thanks, Obi…"

He only patted my back before pulling back and holding onto my shoulders so that I wouldn't fall over. "No problem, Tomo-chan." And yep, Obito was humming. He was in a good mood. At least, he looked like it. "Thanks for stopping by to see us."

I didn't have much time to react before Rin-chan came around and hugged me too. What brought this on? Did I do something? "It is good to see you too, Tomo-chan."

"Yay," I said weakly, now feeling strangely tired. It was enough to make me want to lean onto Rin-chan for the entire day and possibly _sleep_ the embarrassment away. "Hugs!"

Kei snorted softly once Rin-chan pulled away. "Still, Tomo-chan, anything else you want to say to nearly-Chunin us? At least, before we go?"

It then registered to me that quite a few people were staring at us because we were making a scene somehow, and words promptly left my entire system. Joy. To pick up the slack, Kakashi only nudged me from behind with the same hand, muttering a quiet reminder of, "Tomoko, _breathe_."

I inhaled deeply as instructed, closing my eyes. _I can do this, I can do this…!_

 **You're at the Goal, Tomoko-chan. Don't falter now. Go break a leg!** My Nobody then paused. _**Not**_ **literally, dear. Please. We already saw what happened to Yang. Just. Be yourself. You can do it! You can do it!** And she pulled out pom-poms to start jumping into the air for extra cheer. Oh joy.

Where could all my fear go in the face of her? Hisako was ridiculous.

I exhaled before turning to Kei, ducking my head, and promptly shoving the scroll into her hands. All in quick succession. At least, shoving the scroll as close as I could get _to_ her hands without accidentally hitting her and giving her enough room to take the gosh darn thing. Embarrassment, you're _so_ not helpful. "Um. Gift. For you. And the Team. It's better than. Hair ribbon. At least."

Yep. My voice cracked again. And I was turning into a red Minnie Mouse. Wearing a blue skirt and white blouse. And I know what you're thinking. Don't blame me for liking blue.

Kei only stared at the offered thing with wide eyes before slowly taking it from my hands. "Thank you?" she said cluelessly, almost stunned as she lightly started tossing the scroll between her hands. "What is this, Tomo?"

Rin only peered past Kei's shoulders. "It looks like a normal storage scroll," she mused, inclining her head with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes were already scanning the written ink label on the scroll. "' _Traps, supplies and_ —" Rin blinked. "' _Towels'_? Why towels?"

Kakashi only poked at my cheek while still glancing away. "That last part was Tomoko's idea. I did everything else."

 **Oh?** Hisako was smirking now. _**The**_ **Kakashi? Giving away credit where credit is due? Oh my! Changes are** _ **wonderful**_ **, Tomoko-chan!**

 _Oh gosh._ I only covered my face with my hands again once Obito shot up with a loud, "WHAT." Of course everyone was looking at me now, and aside from what I was assuming was a stare off between Obito and Kakashi, I had no clue about anything else. "Bakashi, did you—" Obito was choking now. " _You_ did this?"

Kakashi scoffed and did what I could only assume as rolling his eyes. "I said it before. It'd be a pain to rein in new Genin. I just helped out when Tomoko," he then nudged my head with a finger as my cheeks continued to burn, "was starting to search her closet for things to give aside from hair ribbons."

"…Wow." Obito deadpanned finally. Yep, he wasn't believing it. Any second now. "I had no idea you cared." Then he turned on me with what I could assume as a giant smile. "Thank you, Tomo-chan!"

Kakashi only snorted in clear disbelief. Yep. He was irritated now.

What was I, a giant _birthday present_ for people to heap love on? Yes, I loved these dorks, but _gosh_ , I did not know what to do with all the attention.

I could clearly _feel_ Kei and Rin's surprised stares on me and found myself rambling loudly through my fingers. "W-well, Kushina-nee mentioned how you guys had to deal with accidentally losing your supplies in the second bout the first Exams around, so I worked with Papa, Wataru-jichan, Sakumo-jichan, and Kakashi on the scroll thing! Seals and all. Since I'm—" I gulped. "I'm horrible at them. _Anywho_! It has traps, explosives, a-and towels! S-Since I…um." I took a breath while slowly removing my hands from my face to meet their stares, and still found myself turning red from all of it. And my voice was turning high-pitched. Just lovely. "I…kinda thought you guys would have access to a river to clean yourselves off? Since there's no showers?"

 _Ohmigosh_ , I wanted to melt into a puddle now. So much.

How bad could an explanation get? Rambling! Because I was horrible. Oh gosh.

Still, Rin was now clearly sparkling from the joy of this new revelation (apparently) as she stared between me and the scroll. "Oh, Tomo-chan…!" her voice turned soft and almost syrupy. Eh? "Thank you!"

And then she was hugging me again. Oh gosh, she felt warm, I could vaguely smell lavender and only see the purple shuriken patterns on her lavender themed top, and goodness, _what_ did I do to deserve this? "Now we don't have to worry about showers!"

"Heh," Kei was smiling behind her from the looks of it, holding the scroll with a tighter grip. "That takes care of one problem." She tucked the scroll into one of her many back pockets, because ninja. Of course. Once Rin let go, a new hand landed on my head, and I looked up to meet Kei's black eyes. Were…were they sparkling too? It looked like it, but I didn't want to delude myself from all the embarrassment. She was still grinning at me. Oh goodness. "Thanks, Tomo."

All that left me as a response was a proper, " _Ugu_ ," before I decided to screw my feelings and just jump over and wrap my arms around Kei's middle in another hug. "I-I worry, alright?!"

Yep. My voice cracked again.

"Don't raise your blood pressure over it, but okay?" Kei was definitely smirking now from the sound of her voice, but the arms around my back to reciprocate the hug was nice. "Still, thank you, Tomo-chan."

I breathed in a small whiff of ink and mochi before pulling away and promptly tugging at my hair-ribbon hair strand. Because honestly, I had no clue what to do anymore, and standing there hugging my friends for oh so long would only _increase_ the intensity of passing-by-ninja stares. "Y-You're welcome…"

Kakashi's hand only landed on my head, ruffling my hair lightly. "Calm down, Tomoko. It's over."

 _Eh? No!_ I shook my head immediately, huffing a very cracked, nervous breath. "I-I still need to say something, Kakashi, please?"

The hand on my head paused. "Say what?" he said incredulously.

I didn't have to look past my bangs to see the confusion on Kei, Obito, and Rin-chan's faces.

I inhaled deeply. It was now or never. By saying it, I already knew that I wouldn't have time to think on it or even regret it. Hisako even clammed up too. I didn't say it last time. I had to this time.

"D-Don't die, please."

The air seemed to turn colder with that out in the open now. "Tomo-chan…" Rin said softly.

I raised a hand before anyone could say anything, feeling my knees buckle just so slightly from the pressure of the words. "I-I get it, alright? The ninja life is tough, and we can't predict the next day sometimes." My heart still beat hard against my ribs from the thoughts, but I was in too deep now. "But I want to see you all again, okay? Especially after today. Passing these Exams or not, with a new green jacket or not." With a breath, I looked up at all of them with the best smile I could have. "I love you all very much, and I want you all to _live_."

_Especially you, Kei. I don't want you to die, and especially not for me. I appreciate your "kill for and die for" list, but I don't like the last part._

I left all that out though. Because, (1) memories of a past death were _never pretty_ when it came to me, and (2) …well…

The reactions were somewhat mixed. Obito proceeded to turn as red as a cherry while sputtering, Rin put a surprised hand to her mouth as a light pink dusted her cheeks, and Kei was…well, she turned to figurative stone in a matter of seconds. At least, from what I could see.

I blinked. "Um, everyone?"

No response, aside from Obito's faint and only mumble of, "Uwawah."

 **Tomoko-chan?** Hisako raised a hand with a shaky smile. **I'm glad that you're more honest with your feelings now, but I think that was a bit too soon.**

Kakashi lightly facepalmed behind me. "Tomoko. Atmosphere," he muttered.

"Eh?" I looked around us, and sure enough, _every_ single ninja was staring in either awe, surprise, or plain disgust. Amazingly, I was able to swallow the potential embarrassment before it started _and_ speak out with a loud and strangely irritated, "Do you all have a _problem_? Please go and do your own thing now! It's rude to stare!"

As if caught by their parents peeping or something, every single staring ninja passerby turned away to whisper amongst themselves and return to whatever routines they were doing before.

I found myself huffing in triumph.

 **Yaaaaay?** Hisako said slowly, still holding her pom-poms in one hand. **You did it, Tomoko-chan!**

Kakashi only sighed. "Not the _brightest_ idea, but it worked."

"Hey," I muttered back at him. "I believe I told you why I say things like that earlier, and right now, I don't regret anything!"

Yeaaaah. I think I was annoyed now.

It was probably the lack of a response though. And other ninja being nosy. Sheesh.

Before I could think on it more, someone was barreling into me for what could only be considered a _tackle_ hug. I ended up squeaking anyways from the surprise, and then the scent of something musty and almost burnt was coming through my nose as I blinked. Orange goggles were digging into the side of my neck almost uncomfortably, and black spikes were brushing my cheek. Once the feelings had settled, I reached up to put a hand on the person's spiky head, standing on my tiptoes to do so. "Obi?"

"Thank you, Tomo-chan," was the vehement whisper, and then something wet was starting to soak into the shoulder of my blouse. Oh. Oh dear. " _Thank you_."

Wet shoulders could be dealt with later in the day. I only brushed through the Uchiha's black hair with a warm smile. Oh well. Boys had every right to cry too. And this boy needed all the hugs and platonic affection he could get considering the shit his Canon self had to deal with. "It's no problem, Obi. I love you and everyone else very much, so I want you coming back to the Cafe when this is all over, y'hear? I'll play you all a good concert."

"Y-Yeah, yeah." A warm, shaky laugh was the reply I got as Obito slowly pulled away, wiping at his eyes with one of his jacket sleeves before he beamed at me. "That's a promise, Tomo-chan! I swear on the reputation of the man who's going to become Hokage!" He gave me a thumbs-up too.

Oh, Obi. You ridiculous, silly, lovable dork. I smiled back, because it was the only thing left I could do, at least for now. "I'll hold you up to that, Obi. And don't be reckless out there, okay?"

He nodded vigorously, thumbs-up still strong in my direction all the while. "Got it!"

And then Rin-chan decided to get in on the hugs too by pulling on my right hand, and whoop-de-doo, my nose landed on top of another shoulder in quick succession. "I'll keep everyone on track and moderately healed, Tomo-chan. That's my promise," was the fierce whisper, and I hugged her back hard as confirmation. "Don't worry."

"I'll try not to worry then," was the only small confirmation I could give back, and then Rin-chan was pulling away to leave Kei.

Kei was still staring at me with wide eyes, looking like she hadn't even _moved_ in the entirety of the past two hugs, so I blinked and opened my arms. "Kei-chan? It's your turn!"

She jolted. From the looks of it, she was just spacing, or perhaps talking with the other selves she had in her head too, so when I called out, she was clearly stunned again. Kei ended up frowning at me. "Tomo?"

I found myself pouting while still offering a hug. It had to be her. Of course. My reincarnation buddy and the bestest friend I could ever have in this world. And _she_ was spacing. What a role-reversal. "Kei, I've hugged everyone else already."

Behind me, Kakashi snorted, so I corrected it with a fast, "Kakashi, I'll give you plenty of hugs later," much to his apparent confusion with the small, "Hn," in my direction.

Turning back to her, I added a final, rather modest declaration of, "And I want to give you at least _one_ last hug of good luck before you go, so please?"

At least, I think it was modest enough to ask.

And soon enough, a voice was starting to run through the loudspeakers.

"ALL TESTING GENIN, REPORT TO THE FRONT DESK FOR YOUR SEAT ASSIGNMENTS. THE EXAMS WILL START IN 15 MINUTES."

It was almost a miracle I didn't jump at the announcement. More so since it was loud and _sudden_. Still, it seemed to do something as the crowd of nosy ninja from earlier started to disperse in that mentioned direction and Kei scoffed softly. "Ah, what the hell," was all I could make out, and then she stepped forward a few paces so that I could finally wrap my arms around her neck and pull her in for the hug. "You're a doof, Tomo-chan."

Even then, I found myself giggling. "We're _both_ doofs, Kei. And you better do your best out there and _live_ , okay?" I tightened the hug as much as I could without it becoming too hard to breathe, fully standing on my tiptoes to reach her height. Already at age 11, she was getting taller, and I knew I would never measure up. Instead, I cut to the chase. "I love you, so please come back soon."

I knew I could never say, " _Don't go._ " It wasn't appropriate, and I couldn't keep a potential Chunin away from the front lines forever. A ninja was still a ninja. Yamaguchi-sensei said as much. At least, at least, I could hug her and tell her to be careful.

Kei immediately wrapped her arms around my middle to lift me up a few centimeters, and I tried not to squeak once my feet left the ground, instead hanging on as much as I could. Even if one of my sandals fell off in the process. "Got it," was the murmur in my ear, and I could've sworn I felt a smile before a cheek lightly bumped the side of my head. "Thanks for the reminder."

I huffed softly. "Least I can do, Kei." I then let go once she put me back down on the ground, despite every single nerve and my heart calling for me not to, because time was short. And I needed to find my sandal. One last reminder for good measure then. I reached over to boop her nose. "Just don't hit anyone in the balls unless it's necessary, alright?"

 **HA!** Hisako promptly choked on another laugh. **I SAW THIS WAS COMING, BUT IT'S STILL HILARIOUS COMING FROM YOU, DEAR!**

Obito promptly paled as Rin put a hand to her mouth again. Kakashi proceeded to cough, vaguely hiding a sputter of, "What."

Kei stared at me for a single second before putting a fist against her chest and nodding as firmly as she could. "Scout's honor."

I nodded back. "Good." Then the realization hit me. "Wait—"

"Can't swear on it since I've never been a Scout, Tomo-chan~" was all Kei hummed before she lightly flicked my forehead and _literally_ ninja-ran off in the opposite direction in quick succession.

I didn't even have time to take in the fact that I was essentially eating my reincarnation buddy's dust before the pain and the frustration of being conned hit me. Along with the residual jolt of "Ow" in my head, the lack of a sandal on my left foot, and just shock.

"KEI, YOU _DORK_!"

Kakashi only facepalmed softly as Kei laughed in the distance.

The high-fives from Obito and Rin when they left did make up for that at least.

* * *

"That was quite the scene you made," Kakashi commented as soon as we were walking home.

I found myself stopping my walking pace to turn back and look at him. "Eh? How so?"

Kakashi was smiling almost wryly from what I could see of his mask, shrugging all the while. He wasn't minding my antics again? "I'm surprised you were able to tell off the other ninja there like that."

At the mere mention of them, I found myself pouting, eyebrows furrowed. "They weren't supposed to be _looking_ , Kashi. And besides, I'd like to be honest than hide it all and risk crying _again_."

Crying for oh so long could only get you so far, really.

Surprisingly, Kakashi looked affronted now at the new nickname, because his only response was an incredulous, "Kashi?"

Whoops. Went too far again.

Hisako proceeded to bark down more laughter. **Tomoko-chan~! You're getting too ahead of yourself again~!**

 _Whoops_. I tried not to flush red, but whoop-de-doo, I could already feel the heat climbing up my face. Welcome back, embarrassment! I did _not_ miss you. "I-I mean, Kei is Kei, Obito is Obi, and Rin is Ricchan! You're a friend too, and we've been living together for three years now, but if you want me to stop, I ca—"

"Tomoko." I stopped as soon as he raised a hand in my direction. "It's fine."

"Eh?" I blinked as soon as he started walking forward a bit faster in the direction of the cafe. Of course, I had to go after him. Did he just agree to the random whim of an eleven-year-old girl? "Wait, Kakashi, was that—"

"Forget it."

"Kakashi!"

" _Forget it_."

Hisako took that time to blow a large bugle horn. **FRIENDSHIP CONFIRMED. Now**. She adjusted her glasses with exaggerated flourish. **Crushes. Does he have any, I wonder…** She started guffawing. _**Ooooh**_ **, I think I can recognize someone! Someone with a sword…**

I ignored her in favor of running after my housemate. "K-Kashi, not so fast! Civilian here!"

"Who's training and could use some more endurance."

"HEY!"

**HAHAHAHA.**

At least he didn't mind Mama's broiled saury fish as soon as we came home. Enjoyed it, in fact. Darn ninja…

* * *

Two weeks later, Hoshino Hikari found herself questioning. Out of any idea Judai had in his life, especially considering his past ninja background, Hikari wasn't all that sure about this one.

"Dear," she started slowly.

Judai only whistled innocently as he locked the doors to the house behind him. "What?"

Hikari held back the urge to sigh. "You're sure about this. Closing the cafe for the Chunin Exam Finals?"

It was only with that out and said that Judai finally turned to meet her stare with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck all the while. "Tomoko-chan was kinda jumping all over the place about it, Hikari. And Kei and the others are going to be in the Exams this time, so we have to watch, don't we?"

That wasn't Hikari's main problem. She only sighed before covering her face with a hand. "That's not it, Judai. I appreciate this, but there's one issue."

"What's that?"

Hikari only pointed in Tomoko's direction as soon as there was a loud _Fwish_ of a fan.

"Mama! Papa! Sakumo-jichan! Don't worry about me, I'm ready for _anything_!"

Kakashi himself was even sighing too. "Tomoko, you don't have to yell yet."

"Hey, Kashi, it's fine. I have water. And it is good practice for when we're in the stands, isn't it?"

Kakashi sighed again, holding his head in his right hand as soon as Judai's eyes landed on the _giant_ bright red fan that Tomoko was holding. More specifically, a fan as big as five hands when outspread, proudly reading in bold white ink, "GO, TEAM MINATO!"

"Ah," he said finally once he caught Hikari's doubtful eye. "…It's my favorite color and Tomoko-chan seemed to like it?"

Hikari only sighed herself as soon as Sakumo came from around the house corner to fuss over the kids.

He could handle them while she could throttle her dorky husband. She already had to worry about finishing yet _another_ requested kimono dress in time for today.

Oh well. She'd take this over the sight of tears any day.

Tomoko-chan and the kids deserved to be happy. And be showered with appreciation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: =~= Dunno what to say this time. The chapter's shorter than last time. Though, at the same time, with August ending; birthdays for friends coming left and right, hence a lot of art; school starting for Leo, Josh, and even my own brother; school looming over my own head in a month; and with Osie/Beta (yes, that Beta from the original Catch Your Breath by Lang too) actively reading this story now, there's been a lot happening lately.
> 
> And well, I didn't want to shove the entirety of another arc into just one long chapter. The first Chunin Exams in Chapter 17 gets some leeway, since I know a lot of it was focused on the civvie side of things and there's only oh-so-much CYB rehash I could do. The second, I could do something. I just need two chapters at most for it.
> 
> Anyways. Thanks as always to all who read, favorite, and follow. Reviews are appreciated, because they are few and far in-between sometimes.
> 
> And, as always. Thank you, Lang. Thank you, Osie. For letting me do this, and for being my friends. We make a good trio of online writers.
> 
> This is Vy, Writer-and-Artist27, signing out to write the next chapter of S&S and CP. See you all again soon.


	22. Results and After-Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Once again. I don’t own anything but Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Kei and her family belong to Lang Noi.
> 
> The theme song for this chapter is, once again, split between songs. (At this point, a part of me is wondering if I’m getting predictable.) For the battles shown in this chapter, I’ll point you to the track titled All For One from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Since the track came from The Three Musketeers themed world and its cheeriness does fit the light-hearted tone of some of the fights originally shown in CYB.
> 
> Now, for any in-story songs played by our civilian pianist? The piano cover of Utauyo!! Miracle from K-On’s second season, done by the wonderful YouTuber marasy. It’s a good thing to dance to, anyways. ;D The actual lyrics to the song that Tomoko is shown to be singing comes from the translation of Anime Lyrics dot Com, so please go over there and support their translation efforts!
> 
> For the other side of things, the emotional civvie side of things (this was obviously coming), I’ll point you to an anime original soundtrack for the long-running Pokémon anime, titled Advance Adventure (Piano Ballad Arrangement). This theme actually wasn’t played in the English dub of the show, from what I can recall, and since the States was able to hear the Orchestra and Guitar version of the same song, well. It’s about time to share the more somber, feels-inducing version of the same piece. :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

_Chapter 22: Results and After-Party_

Well. It should be said that in the old Canon side of the Narutoverse, the Chunin Exams were almost like a village-wide festival. Ninja drank in the bars the night before if they weren't participating, the various Genin combatants' faces were plastered on posters, put up on almost every wall like a spectacle, and shopkeepers were hanging up lanterns and setting up booths. There was even the occasional Chunin lurking around the streets with a silly grin, offering bets for any oblivious civvie to bite on if they wanted to grab some extra money.

Sure, this Chunin Exams was supposed to be Konoha-only because of the war, but I still couldn't help but question how _lively_ the village seemed to be getting because it was the Finals. Shouldn't there be a sense of desperation…? Still. Businesses would be booming, apparently, if they were open today, but judging by the crowds heading towards the center of the village where the stadium was, the entire spectacle _was_ the Finals.

Naturally, my heart was clenching in on itself from the worry.

_They're going to be okay…right? Right?_

The mental image of Obito picking at the inside of his ear ensued, and that didn't help much. Scratch that, it _made_ things feel worse.

My Nobody was then wielding a spiked _baseball bat_ of all things as she proceeded to hit the image out of the library in the visage of a home run, like an unwelcome visitor. **Tomoko-chan, take a breath, hold it, and then go. You can do this.**

Hisako's reminder was really nice, since the fan in my hand was starting to give me splinters from how tightly I was holding the wooden handle. I think. If not splinters, then it was growing warm, no, _hot_ , from the sweat building up in my palms.

Kakashi only poked the back of my head as we walked closer to the stadium entrance. "Oi," he said softly, contrasting the almost-reprimand his poke accomplished a few seconds ago, "What happened to that girl who was yelling and waving that fan around like a toy?"

"She's currently feeling the crowd passing us and trying not to get worried for your team?" I squeaked out honestly in one breath. Yeah. My voice cracked again. Woo. I'm such a coward. Or at least socially awkward as _heck_.

I didn't have to look behind me to hear Kakashi facepalm. "Tomoko," he said in the same soft tone through his gloved hand, almost resigned this time. "We've been through this. Team Minato is going to be okay." He poked the back of my head again with his other hand, lighter in the gesture. " _Relax_."

"I-I'm trying," I said weakly, but my smile was clearly falling at its edges when I glanced back at him. His quirked eyebrow in my direction spoke volumes without him even needing to pull his mask down to frown. "I really am, I promise."

"Uh-huh," he said flatly. Yep. Kakashi wasn't believing me.

Another hand landed on my head this time, and I tried not to squeak as it registered as Papa's touch, ruffling my hair for all its fluffy worth. "Tomoko-chan, they'll be fine. If you're that worried, Papa can give you a ride on his shoulders for a better look?"

I turned back to him to pout. "P-Papa, I'm not short!"

 **Even if you** _**could** _ **pull off a good Edward Elric impression!**

_HISAKO. I DRINK MY MILK!_

My Nobody just raised her hands in surrender as her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose. **Hey, just saying~! You aren't denying it~!**

Aaaaand she was humming. This was just _perfect_. Argh.

Papa only snorted before pulling me close, a kiss landing on my forehead. I tried not to flush red, because really, I wasn't expecting that. Especially in _public_ of all places. Papa was Papa, but really? "Keep believing that, hime, keep believing that."

Wooooow, so much faith in me.

"Papaaaaaaaa." I whined, letting go of my fan with one hand to poke at his bicep. "I'm still growing!"

"But you're my little hime, and nothing's going to change that," he said in flat determination, already letting go of his light grip on my hair to go and grasp my right hand mid-poke, squeezing it tightly. "Even when I'm an old man and you're off somewhere, playing your songs for the world, you'll always be my hime." He emphasized it with another kiss on the forehead, aptly dodging my bangs while smiling.

I really couldn't say much else to that and ducked my head, grabbing a strand of my hair with my fan hand (since really, my other hand was being taken up by _Dad_ ) to cover my cheeks. Because they were burning again. Goddammit. "P-Papaaaaaaa."

"Himeeeeeee," he echoed teasingly above me.

"Gosh darn it, Judai, take it easy on the teasing," Sakumo-jichan interrupted coolly, poking his head over Papa's shoulders with a small smirk of his own. "Tomoko-chan's going to overheat before we even get into the stadium."

Kakashi was already raising one hand in the air as he walked faster to get into the lead of the group. "I'm not it. Not catching her."

"H-Hey…" I squeaked out weakly as a response. "I'm still here…"

**Hehehe.**

Sakumo-jichan only snorted while walking past Papa to rest a hand on Kakashi's head. "Son, you know how things are."

Kakashi sighed loudly as a response.

Mama just laughed happily as Papa squeezed my hand again with a warm smile.

Family. They could be some of the most teasing jerks in the world, but when thinking on it, I wouldn't trade them for anything. Nothing at all.

* * *

The stadium was crowded. No matter where I looked, there was someone bustling around, trying to find a place to sit or something to eat. There was the occasional businessman, going around handing out flyers with the combatants' faces on them, or even a busboy carrying around food and various beverages to sell. If I looked closely into the nearby groups, I could even make out a sales representative, talking with some kids to try selling them toys like bubble-sprayers.

I gripped my fan tighter while swiveling my head around. _Where are they…?_

If it wasn't obvious, I was trying to look for a familiar face aside from the Hatakes and my parents. Since those named groups were still behind me, and last I checked, the Gekkōs and Kushina-nee were supposed to have reserved seats somewhere around—

" _Tomoko-chaaaaaaan!_ "

I knew that voice.

"K-Kushina-nee—?" was all I could get out before my eyes could only see a curtain of _red_ , and then my feet weren't on the ground anymore as I was apparently getting swung around like a plush toy. Aaaaaah.

Uzumaki-patented Tackle Hugs _hurt_. They were warm and lovely considering who was bestowing them, but they still _hurt_. And there was no resistance in existence.

I could try, but why?

 **We're caught.** Hisako deadpanned for me. **Probably for the better!**

"Hi, Tomoko-chan—!" Kushina-nee was cooing again, brushing through my hair while pressing her cheek to my head. Aaaaaah. How did I earn this woman's affections again? Not that I minded, but _how_. "I missed you!"

"M-Missed you too, Kushina-nee," I choked out as nicely as I could, considering the Uzumaki-patented Tackle Hug was still in effect and I was essentially a Squishy Civvie and not an Endurance-patented Ninja, in spite of all my inner self-spite at that. I did not want to lose any limbs with any accidental insults towards the hug. "Wh-what happened in our absence?"

"The participating ninja filing into the stadium and a speech from the Third Hokage," she hummed in quick succession, putting me down with one last cheek rub. "So you didn't miss much~!"

"I-I'm happy about that?" I said with my voice cracking from the uncertainty, because as soon as Kushina-nee let me go, she was looking past my shoulder and was _sparkling_. Oh no.

"Kakashi-kun, there you are! Why are you hiding?"

I could already feel the nonverbal "Oh shit" in the air from my housemate before the Uzumaki jumped past me for another tackle hug, and in the impeding commotion, I decided to dart away.

_I'm so sorry, Kakashi, you need affection!_

Hisako was starting to cackle loudly in triumph as soon as I found myself making eye contact with warm black eyes. Miyako-bachan was already sitting in a seat next to Wataru-jichan, a kind smile on her face as always as she patted the spaces on her right side. "Tomoko-chan, over here."

I held back the urge to jump _her_ in a tackle hug and instead scooted into the nearest available seat, nearly bumping her left side in the process while smiling back. The anxiety was already starting to drift away with seeing a familiar face. There was always something about Kei's mom that made the world feel a bit brighter. "Hi, Miyako-bachan." But in the end, the urge to hug was irresistible, so I ended up reaching over with my hands to hug both her and Wataru-jichan as much as I could in a side-hug, because sitting down. Also, it was a gentle hug because being carried by an Uzumaki like that in the name of _love_ kinda does something to a person. "It's good to see you. And Wataru-jichan."

"It is good to see you too," Miyako-bachan said in the same kind voice, already reaching over to pat my hair as Wataru-jichan wiggled and reciprocated the hug by patting my arms. "I am glad you could come to join us."

"What Miyako-chan said!" Wataru-jichan chirped, squeezing one of my hands before I could pull away. "Ready to see the fights, Tomoko-chan?"

_CRACK._

Yep. That was the sound of my ribs breaking as my heart proceeded to fall all the way down to my gut. Joy.

 **Oh no.** Hisako bemoaned, facepalming loudly to the point of the noise echoing in the library. **Wataru-san, you shouldn't have done** _ **that**_ **…**

"No," I squeaked out as soon as I could let go of the group hug. " _No, I'mnot!"_

Nearby, I could've sworn I heard a loud, "DON'T WORRY, TOMOKO-CHAN, THEY'LL BE FINE, TTEBANE!"

"Oh," Wataru-jichan said intelligently. Then he put on a teeth-filled smile in my direction. "No one's going to die if that helps?"

Miyako-bachan simply elbowed him through her yukata sleeve.

 **Ouch,** Hisako said sympathetically. **Not that he didn't deserve that, but ouch.**

Almost as expected, Wataru-jichan deflated. "Sorry, Tomoko-chan."

"I-It's okay," I squeaked out, gripping my fan close to my chest for a sense of composure while sitting back down in my seat. "Can I at least say that I'll try to cheer Kei-chan and the others on? Even if I'm worried?"

"Yes," Miyako-bachan said dryly, before she reached over with her left arm to hug my shoulders. I wasn't expecting that. "Tomoko-chan, everyone will be alright. There is no need to worry." I didn't have to look up to know that she was smiling, but the hand on my shoulders still squeezed as I was soon pulled in for my head to rest on her shoulder. "Kei-chan and the others are ready to become Chunin. They will pass."

 _ **Please**_ **pass that confidence onto us.** _ **Please**_ **, Miyako-san.** Hisako interrupted loudly. **Tomoko-chan could use some of that.**

… _Hisako._

**What? It's the truth.**

Urgh.

I just leaned into Miyako-bachan with a small sigh. "Okay." I could at least say that much. "I understand."

Miyako-bachan hummed in what sounded like a neutral manner, but knowing her ninja background, she definitely wasn't believing it. Still, she tightened the side-hug as her hand went up to rest on my hair, brushing through it calmly. "If you are still uncomfortable," was the musing above my head, "just watch the fights, Tomoko-chan. They will be alright."

I leaned into her a bit more while loosening the grip on my fan. "Okay." This time, I could say it a bit more firmly.

The hand in my hair seemed to stop for a moment, as if Miyako-bachan was considering my answer. Though, it didn't take long for her to start stroking my hair again, gentler this time, like she had accepted it. It was a good enough sign for me.

I held back a sigh of contentment and leaned into her. It wasn't the time to sleep, but I could at least close my eyes and focus on the nice sensation that was hair brushing before the violence could really start to all the audience cheering. Even if you knew your friends were going to fight, that didn't mean you would be all that _okay_ with it. That was my case, at least.

I know I came here to cheer them on, but fighting was something I don't think I could get used to.

Hell, I don't think I could _ever_ be comfortable with the idea that my friends were already being raised to be cogs in a _killing_ machine. Sure, that machine helped _keep_ this society afloat, but the lack of respect towards human life in general was hard for me to handle. Even as a civilian, who would hopefully never see battle, _this_ already had me on edge.

There was then some rustling near my right before someone else was sitting down, and then I could hear a familiar amused snort. "Is she asleep?"

Of course it was Papa. The dork.

"No, Judai, just resting," Miyako-bachan said, voice quiet all the while. Her hand was still threading through my hair, and gosh it felt nice. "I am glad to see you join us."

"Wouldn't have missed it," Papa replied evenly, and then a large hand was resting over one of mine, squeezing softly. I could feel each and every callous on his skin through his touch. Rugged, but familiar. "Thanks for saving seats."

"It was no problem." Miyako-bachan was smiling even without me having to open my eyes, and then her other hand was nudging me. "Try not to fall asleep, Tomoko-chan. I believe the first fight will start soon."

I could've sworn Hisako dropped a glass or something with how there was a loud CRASH in the library. _**What**_ **? Who is it?**

Almost immediately, my eyes flew open as I jolted in place. "Eh?" Behind me, I could've sworn I heard Wataru-jichan snicker, and then I was turning my head to look at Miyako-bachan, holding back panic. "Wh-Who is it? Fighting, I mean?"

Miyako-bachan simply smiled, raising her free hand to point down towards the stadium.

Almost as if it was on cue, the other stands started to cheer loudly, and I only vaguely realized that my ears were tingling somewhat painfully from all the noise. An old world equivalent of the whole thing would be an anime concert where _Yuki Kaijura_ herself showed up to lead. That's what it felt like.

"Welcome to the Chunin Exams! It's about time to start the first fight!" With that said, I found myself staring down at what appeared to be another Inuzuka, gruff-looking but somewhat triumphant in how she was holding up the microphone strapped to the collar of her green flak jacket. From the brown hair and narrowed eyes, I could've sworn she was the spitting image of _Kiba_.

**Is that—**

The lady then opened her mouth again. "I'm Inuzuka Tsume, and I'll be your announcer for this event!"

 **IT** _ **IS**_ **KIBA'S MOM. HOLY SHIT.**

The black and white dog sitting next to her was more confirmation than anything else. She grinned widely to show off bright white fangs, and I tried not to gulp, instead reaching up to grip Miyako-bachan's free hand. If she minded, Miyako-bachan didn't make a gesture saying so, only squeezing my hand back as Tsume-san continued to speak.

"Are you all ready to see some _fights_?!"

Tsume-san's reply from the stands consisted of simple loud cheering from the audience. I didn't even realize I was flinching until Miyako-bachan squeezed my shoulders.

"That's what I want to hear! We'll be seeing kids prove themselves, claw over claw, just _trying_ to get Chunin rank! So let's see some kunai fly!"

There was only more cheering with her words.

It was as if all the civilians around us were _wanting_ to see blood spilled.

It explained the betting going around the stands, so then _why_ was my heart starting to pound so hard?

I found myself exhaling shakily. Immediately, a hand landed on top of my hair, and I turned around to see Kakashi incline his head at me, eyes filled with some kind of emotion I couldn't make out. He was sitting in the row right behind me and the Gekkōs, actually, with Sakumo-jichan, so that explained the hand on my head. But his expression? All I knew was that he was being far calmer than I was right now. "It's okay, Tomoko. Just focus on the team," was the mouthed whisper, and I found myself nodding without thinking. "They're going to be okay."

Another hand lightly poked my cheek, and despite the small jolt of pain, I turned back to my row to see Papa grin sheepishly, pointing with his other hand down towards the stadium again.

"Here's the first match of the first round we've all been waiting for!" Tsume-san then decided to make this more of a show than usual by pretending to fiddle with the inside of her flak jacket before pulling out a scrap of folded paper with exaggerated relish. "Uchiha Obito versus Maito Gai!"

 **Oh no.** Hisako said for me.

With those names called, it took all I had to stay in my seat and watch as the two combatants stepped up to Tsume-san's sides, Obito in particular standing out to me. The orange-blue jacket was hard to miss. He seemed unnaturally tense for such a fight, judging by his stiff shoulders, and I couldn't blame him at all. He was going against the _Green Beast_ of Konoha, who in another timeline, went on to give _Uchiha freakin' Madara_ a run for his money. I wouldn't even be surprised if Kei was a bit scared of him too. Gai, no matter what age, was _powerful_ , and it was _all_ from taijutsu and pure Youth.

It was only when I clenched my hands that I registered the feeling of wood poking into my palms. My fan. I was still holding onto it.

Miyako-bachan slowly shifted, loosening her grip on my shoulders. Heck, I could've sworn I heard a soft, "Go on, Tomoko-chan," before I was being _pushed,_ and before I could think on it further, I was running towards the railing separating the stands and the fighting ground below. The wood of my fan handle was _still_ poking into my palms as I unfolded it as fast as I could on the way down. Once the painted white words of "GO, TEAM MINATO!" greeted me, I turned it around to face the stadium and raised it into the air to wave, my other hand already holding onto the railing for balance.

Screw the stares from the crowds, I had a job to do.

I took a breath.

"YOU CAN DO IT, OBITO!"

My yell fluctuated in volume no thanks to my voice cracking. Still. It made Tsume-san stop any further announcements to stare up in my direction, and Obito and Gai too were looking up at me as I continued to wave my fan. Even when silence started to blanket the entire stadium, adrenaline of some sorts was running through me and I knew I couldn't stop now.

"YOU CAN DO THIS! DON'T GET NERVOUS! REMEMBER YOUR BASICS, AND KICK BUTT! I BELIEVE IN YOU, OBITO!"

To an outsider, it probably looked like the local civilian girl had lost any marbles she had to _scream_ into the uncaring void. And in any other case, you'd be right.

But Hisako was smirking proudly and Obito was staring up at me with the biggest and silliest grin in the world.

I was doing _something_.

Obito then cupped his hands around his mouth. My heart leapt in my chest. "THANK YOU, TOMO-CHAN!" he proceeded to yell back, and I already found myself flushing with what felt like a combo of embarrassed and happy heat as I smiled back.

I actually _did_ something. Tension be damned!

"YOU'RE WELCOME, OBI!" Before I could stop myself, I waved my fan one more time in the air and found myself blurting an extra, "I LOVE YOU!" for good measure. Probably the product of happy juice, no doubt.

Still, Hisako promptly choked on her spit. My heart had already dropped down into the bottom of my stomach once the words registered in my ears, and I really wanted to _melt_ into a puddle at this point, because _whytheheckdidIsaythat_. Out loud, too.

Obito flushed the brightest red I had ever seen in existence as a response while Gai-kun proceeded to cheer. "YOUR YOUTH IS VERY ADORABLE, TOMOKO-SAN!" were his exact words towards me, accompanied by a big fist pump in the air. "THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPECTATE!"

"Y-You're welcome?" I said again, quieter this time as it was becoming obvious that _everyone_ was staring now. Oh god dang it. I did my cheering job _way_ too well. "You do your best too, Gai-kun!"

"ON MY HONOR!" Gai added in the same loud voice, beating his fist against his chest, and I didn't miss how Obito near him was starting to resemble a statue. Or how Tsume-san was clearly holding back laughter. "ENJOY OUR FIGHT, TOMOKO-SAN!"

 **Hahahahaha!** _ **No.**_ Hisako said haughtily for me. **The day we enjoy a fight is the day any Overpowered Villain and/or Abuser** _ **dies**_ **. Orochimaru as a fatality is preferred! Black Zetsu and Madara would be nice bonuses!**

At that point, I could only muster an outwardly squeaky and sheepish, "I-I'll try?" Because there was _no_ way I would be taking cues from my Nobody right now, and social cues were still a thing. Even if I did kinda throw out a majority of my own into the stadium for birds to crap on when it came to the moment from earlier.

I wasn't expecting Obito to unfreeze and then turn to meet my eyes again with that same tomato face, hands still around his mouth. Or for him to suddenly yell back. "I-I LOVE YOU TOO, TOMO-CHAN!"

I could hear a few loud and obnoxious "Aww"s behind me.

Of _course_ the crowds would see this like a cheesy confession out of the movies.

Goddammit. Platonic words of affection just wouldn't fly in a Japanese-inspired environment, huh. What happened to modesty.

Then again, I couldn't talk either, could I?

Kakashi's shocked stare was burning holes into the back of my head enough already.

 **Pffffft. Tomoko-chan. Pffft — BAHAHAHA!** Hisako was starting to laugh now. At this point, I shouldn't have been surprised to see her pull out Oblivion again to wave around like a trophy of some sorts, reenacting those old victory poses from video games to signal an achievement. Um. **YOU DUG YOUR OWN GRAVE, DEAR!**

Goddammit.

Still, my heart proceeded to leap back up into my rib cage and through my neck to clog my throat, and I found myself gasping for air, because I wasn't expecting _that reply_ of all things. "O-Obi…"

Obito was still red, but he was grinning now, and once he was waving and brandishing a big thumbs-up in my direction, I found myself smiling back. The dork. No wonder Kei liked him as a friend.

I liked Obito too. No question about it.

"Do your best out there, Obito!" I waved my fan back at him.

He grinned one last time at me before turning around to face his opponent. Gai-kun was smiling too, but I could tell there was a hint of amusement and almost anticipation in the gesture as Tsume-san allowed herself a single barking laugh. "You brats ready?"

"As ready as I can get!" Obito cheered.

"I FEEL THE SAME," Gai bellowed.

I took a breath as soon as Tsume-san raised her hand in the air. "On my mark. Three."

Gai-kun crouched into a taijutsu stance.

"Two."

Obito reached for the holster strapped to his leg.

"One."

Once they were already running at each other, I was cheering at the top of my lungs.

"GO, GO, GO, OBITO!"

My fan never left my hand, even when my heart wanted to turn to ice from seeing the first blows being traded.

* * *

Tsume-san's voice was loud against the now silent arena. "Uchiha Obito is down! The winner is Maito Gai!"

Obito was lying on his back against the dirt, looking up at the sky with an unreadable expression, but the tension in his fists was unmistakable. My voice was hoarse in my throat from both shock and sadness, but I still raised my fan as soon as Gai reached Obito's side to pull him up to his feet. They were exchanging some words I couldn't hear, but it seemed to do something since Obito was smiling brightly.

Still, Hisako lightly poked my forehead, expression sympathetic beyond words. **We both know better, don't we, Tomoko-chan?**

I didn't even hear the rest of Tsume-san's words announcing the next fight. Heck, the most I could make out were names of "Tonbo" and "Shimon" before I was swiveling around, trying to search for the nearest staircase that led to the ninjas in waiting. Obito had already gone back to the stands in the time it took for me to make a decision, and I had to catch him _now_ …

It took one instant. I only caught Kakashi's stare _once_ , and he had simply pointed down to his right side.

It was more than enough.

I could already see the stairs leading down in that direction, so I was running as fast as I could, holding onto the nearby rails so that I wouldn't trip. My fan was still poking into my palm from the occasional light splinter, but I couldn't even find myself caring once I could make out another room at the bottom of the stair steps, barred off by a measly rope and a crowd of ninja sandals.

"OBITOOOOO!"

It was as if the rope couldn't even _hold_ when I barreled through it, fan and all, and the ninja sandals moved away in haste as soon as I reached the room and passed the very flimsy barrier.

A blue-sleeved arm was already reaching out towards me, but I did my best to duck underneath it. "Miss, you can't just run in here—"

"I-I'm sorry, I just need to see someone! Please let me through!"

My eyes were still focused on the floor when running to the point where I didn't even realize I had collided with someone until my head was already throbbing from _ow_ and someone above me was yelping.

Wait. I knew that yelp.

"T-Tomo-chan?!"

I looked up to make eye contact with black eyes covered by orange goggles, and I found myself smiling from joy. I found him. "Obi!"

"T-Tomo-chan, what are you doing here?!" Obito fumbled with his hands, clearly caught off guard, and it was easy to make out the number of scratches and grazes on his person from the arena sand digging into his skin from the times Gai kicked him. Along with the beginnings of a bandage roll being unraveled in his flying right hand, he was obviously trying to do first aid, but he was still _here_ in front of me. "How—"

"I was watching the fight, so I had to come down to see you!" I gripped my fan tightly from instinct alone, trying not to pout. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Um, yes — wait, n-no!" he yelped, a light pink coming over his cheeks now. "But, Tomo, I—" he paused, then coughed to himself before giving me a thumbs-up. "I'm doing okay, so you don't have to worry! You can head back to handle the rest of the fights!" He was grinning brightly, in spite of us clearly becoming what was now the new center of attention to the ninja aside from the newest fight in the arena, but the fact that his smile seemed to _twitch_ was already a bad sign. "I'm okay, Tomo-chan, really!"

A frown was already dawning on my face as I held back a sigh.

 **Of course he's disappointed.** Hisako filled in softly. **But he doesn't want to lose face in front of you, the girl who gave up all social cues to cheer for him.**

Instead of responding, I closed my eyes and reached up.

 _BOP,_ went my fan against Obito's hair.

"…Huh?" Obito's voice was clearly confused now, the false bravado dropping for shock. "Tomo-chan?" He sounded genuinely confused, and I ended up giving a sigh for real this time. I made myself hold it back to the smallest huff I could do, though, because "disappointed" was not what I was feeling right now. Never towards this Obito.

"Obi," I opened my eyes to look up at him with a smile. "You tried your best, right?"

His expression turned more conflicted. "Yeah, but, but, Tomo-chan—"

I shook my head. He was sounding like Leo and Josh on their bad days, and I couldn't stand for that. Not ever. "Did you try your best, and put all of yourself out there?"

"Yeah, but…why are you asking this, Tomo-chan?"

I pulled on his free, uninjured hand to wrap my other arm around him in a small hug. "Because then there's nothing for you to feel bad about, Obi. You did your best, you showed off as much of yourself as you could, and I know you're going to make Chunin. You've worked hard, and you deserve time to rest now."

He tensed underneath me, and I didn't even care that people were staring holes into my back because now he was starting to shudder under my grip. "Tomo-chan, but, but I _lost_."

"And?" I pulled away to look at him, and even if Obito wasn't meeting my stare back, the tears in his eyes were hard to miss. "You did your best, Obi. It doesn't matter if you lost or won. You're still a great ninja in my eyes, y'know." I couldn't help but bop him again with my fan for extra emphasis. "Losses happen in life. What matters is standing up from them and learning from them. And you did great, especially against someone like Gai-kun. Don't beat yourself up over it, okay?" I put on my best smile while standing on my tiptoes to give him the softest headbutt I could. "You're alive, you have another chance to do better, and besides, I know you were crafty enough to earn that rank promotion. Be a bit more confident. It's over, and you did it."

Obito shuddered under my grip again. "T-Tomo-chan…"

I reached over to squish one of his cheeks. "Hey, hey. I'll play you a big, long concert, just for you, when you come back to the cafe, okay? Or I can make some cake. Just for the future Hokage. Whatever you want."

He was still shivering, but I could hear the smile in his voice. Oh goodness, he was going to cry soon. Maybe I needed to start learning how to curb the cheese, because my immediate worry was now making sure he didn't make a mess of himself in front of the entire ninja population. I wouldn't mind, of course, but the others… well. "Mm…mm…!"

"Oh, Obi," I patted his head with a warm smile, daftly avoiding the urge to lightly bop him with the fan again. "It's going to be okay. You got this, Team Minato's all going to pass, just rest up now, okay?"

"Yeah…yeah!" There it was. There was that big, true grin I liked so much. Obito was finally smiling, and I gave him another small headbutt. The dork. The dork.

I was just hoping this kind of moment would keep coming in the future, with no fear of Madara looming. Because I just wanted my friends to keep smiling like this, without worrying about the world. It was all I could really hope for.

"Um, excuse me, Miss?" said the same ninja guard from earlier, right behind us too. Whoops. "You're disrupting the area. I'd like to ask you to leave, please."

"HEY! TOMO-CHAN'S NOT DISRUPTING ANYTHING!"

I wasn't surprised to hear Obito protest first. Time to beat around the bush.

"YEAH! TOMO-CHAN'S GOOD COMPANY FOR US! DON'T KICK HER OUT!"

Rin-chan's voice, on the other hand, was not expected. I couldn't even see a way to quietly beat _around_ the bush now. I had to run _through_ the bush at this rate. Hisako was too caught up in laughing to even help.

Yep. This was my life now. My friends were absolute dorks.

* * *

"Y'know," Asuma drawled quietly.

"What?" Kei added in the same drawl, just to humor him.

"If not for the fact that Hoshino-san is 'famous,'" Asuma continued with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "I'd have half a mind to be jealous of you."

"GO, GO, GO, KEI! GO, GO, GO, KEI!"

 **She's at it again.** The Dreamer put her face in her hands. **Did she get louder?**

_Just let her be. She can only do this once. Even if it's embarrassing._

"You realize she's done this for Rin and Obito too, right?" Kei said, trying _not_ to focus on the cheers in the stands because the heat wouldn't go away otherwise. It wasn't everyday that _Tomo_ would be embarrassing. Even when Obito lost, and when Rin brought her match with Kurenai to a draw, it didn't stop the amount of _pep talks_ given in one day in the ninja-part of the stands. The support was more than enough to make anyone blush. It was another reason why Kei was glad Hayate wasn't watching, because he would just add fuel to Tomo's fire. "It's not new, Asuma."

"Can't stop a guy from feeling envious," Asuma added in the same drawl, his eyebrow twitching. "What can someone do to get something like that?"

"Just be nice to Tomo?" Kei paused before adding, "And keep her company when she's anxious."

"Anxious?"

"Anxious. Tomo-chan gets lonely way too easily."

Asuma was already giving her a funny look. Tsume-san nearby was holding back visible laughter, but the smirk was obvious. "Ready?" she asked, and Kuromaru nearby bared his teeth from the anticipation.

Kei and Asuma both nodded, never breaking eye contact. Whoever did would already be asking for the first blow to land on them.

"GO FOR IT, BRATS!"

Kei could take advantage of physics class for this one. Her attention wasn't even on Asuma, despite his being the Third's kid. What mattered was laying explosives around for the next match.

She had to be worried about Gai.

* * *

It was hard to hold back my cheering at this point, because really, out of anything in the tournament, I was _not_ expecting Kei to come out on top. Not that she wasn't awesome, _nooooo_ , but there was something about your best friend and reincarnation buddy beating out the odds to be in the _final match,_ with Maito Gai to boot, that made me feel so _proud_ of her.

She was really doing it! She was really acing things! At this rate, she could win the tournament, and that was something not even _Naruto_ himself in Canon had the honor to say!

Just, aaaaaaah.

**Because Plot Reasons?**

_Because Plot Reasons._

Hisako held back a loud laugh. **You love her.**

_Yes, Hisako. Yes, I do. I love Kei very much, and just let me have my moment. I already cheered for everyone else!_

Hisako gave me a proud smile while outwardly, my voice was going to give out any minute now from yelling so much. Oh well. If not for Kakashi making it his duty to be the new person up to curbing my antics by shoving water bottles in my face. Thank you, housemate!

"Make sure you stay hydrated before you yell again," he said dryly, but the simple fact that he didn't take my fan away mid-cheer was great. "And keep it down?"

"No promises!"

He sighed.

In hindsight, I probably should've stopped before my vocal cords broke, but with my friends already walking into the arena, I couldn't help myself.

"YOU CAN DO IT, KEI! YOU TOO, GAI! KICK SOME LEGS OUT THERE!"

Kakashi had already covered his ears.

Kei was in the middle of walking to the center of the arena again, but once the words had already been shouted out into the void, she glanced up at me with what could only be called fond exasperation, a light pink dusting her cheeks. She grinned lopsidedly, waving at me, and the happy juice was already fading when my eye caught how nervous she was looking.

She was _nervous_.

 **Because of Gai being her opponent? This is the guy, no pun intended with name things, that kicked** _ **Obito's**_ **ass, current and Canon selves included. And she and Obito are supposed to be fighting tag-team** _ **partners**_ **.**

Time to rectify that.

 _Maaaaaybe_ I shouldn't have shouted it with Kakashi right next to me at the railing, still covering his ears. But, out of instinct or what have you, I ended up doing it anyway, even when Gai-kun was waving too. Because my reincarnation buddy was _nervous_ , and there was only one way I knew that could help with that.

 _Cheese_.

"KEI-CHAN, YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Hisako promptly fell out of her chair. **This is almost like a repeat of what happened with Obito. All over again.** She was laughing. **Hahahahahahaha!**

Kei, on the other hand, promptly turned as red as a pepper. From the attention or my words, I had no clue. Still. I had probably thrown out whatever social image I had _left_ with that shout, plus Kakashi's wince nearby, but I made sure to mouth a quick apology to him before throwing out the rest. Because I was on a roll and welp, had to finish the job. "YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!" Another breath. "GO, GO, GO KICK HIS BUTT, KEI!"

Yes. I did say all that. And yes. For those of you wondering, I _was_ waving my fan around in the air, "GO, TEAM MINATO" lettering and all.

I probably looked like a raving fangirl to the public. Literally and figuratively.

**Then again—pfffft.**

_Do not finish that sentence_.

I could worry about the embarrassment later because Gai was already grinning up at me with that same thumbs-up from the beginning of the tournament. Um. "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR YOUTHFUL FIGHT, TOMOKO-SAN!"

Yep. My ears were _ringing_ from that. I thought my shouting show was bad. And I still needed to respond. "YOU'RE W-WELCOME!" I yelled back, because now my voice had chosen this moment to break down. Aaaaaah. I could've sworn the air wasn't even reaching my lungs at this point. "G-Gai-kun…"

Kakashi was shaking his head.

Kei visibly relaxed and inhaled before looking up and meeting my eyes. The red had receded to a light pink on her face, but the goofy grin was unmistakable. She cupped her hands around her mouth just like Obito did before her, yelling, "THANKS, TOMO!"

My heart was swelling to fill my entire rib cage at the words, because now the happy juice was slowly coming back from her actually _responding_. It was something.

Out of that same bit of happy juice, I mouthed one last soft, " _Daisuki,"_ in her direction.

She still grinned at me.

…Hey, I wasn't expecting her to say something like "I love you" back considering this was still _Kei_ , but hey. It was still _Kei_ who responded, who still acknowledged my rather goofy efforts. It was another reason as to why she was my best friend and why I loved her.

Hell, I couldn't help the smile back and one last wave in her direction before Tsume-san snorted and shook her head. I didn't even realize someone was tugging on me until I was actually getting pulled back, and I was walking right back up the stairs.

"I wish I never knew you," the apparent culprit muttered, but the exasperation made it obvious as to who it was tugging me back.

"Hehehehe… Sorry~" Yep. My voice was totaled. Lovely.

Kakashi simply sighed while still pulling on my wrist to bring me back to the stands where everyone else was, his other free hand offering the same water bottle from before to me. "C'mon, just drink up and rest with Dad and everyone else. We don't want you collapsing."

"G-Got it…" was the frog croak that left my lips.

Papa was already chuckling as soon as I reached him and my previous empty seat, patting my back. "You did good, Hime. Embarrassing, but good."

"W-Would you have me any other way~?" My voice was already going places considering Mama's nearby wince. I probably wouldn't be up for singing tomorrow at this rate.

He was laughing, but he shook his head anyways. "Nope."

Miyako-bachan was already reaching over to pull me back into my seat. "Now, now, Tomoko-chan, sit down and rest. You have been cheering for far too long."

"Isn't that an accomplishment?" And then I coughed, because now my throat was hoarse, and I _still_ didn't regret a single goddamn thing. Even if Wataru-jichan and Sakumo-jichan were snickering at me. Pah. "I-I'm proud of it!"

My voice cracked and with another cough, I found myself forced into silence. My throat was throbbing with _ow_ , almost as if it was emphasizing the limit that was hit today.

Miyako-bachan was already taking my fan away to bop me on the head with it. Ack. "Which is all fine and well, but _drink,_ Tomoko-chan. I can barely hear you now."

Left only with my best frog impression and no other words to give, I did as she instructed, opening the water bottle to promptly chug. The water was thankfully soothing to my now totaled throat, and also served as a sufficient distraction from having to hear any more of Tsume-san's voice. No offense intended to Kiba's future mom, but there's just something about this whole tournament in general that had me on edge. Maybe that explained the happy cheering juice I was on earlier, because it was escapism. I could at least do something without having to think on the fights until they actually happened, and it was a good way to vent anxiety.

My bad throat seemed to be proof enough.

Once half of the water was gone, Kakashi was already sitting behind me with another bottle in hand. "Thankfully I came prepared for this," he deadpanned. "You're too reckless."

"I don't regret—" _BOP_ , went my fan against my hair from Miyako-bachan. Okay, okay, no more talking. The residual pain was enough of a warning.

I dutifully drank my water, trying not to slurp.

"Good job, son," Sakumo-jichan said quietly. What sounded like a soft pat on the head followed soon after, and I knew the Hatake duo were having a moment considering the silence. Even with my voice gone, a part of me wanted to squeal because this was something that _never_ happened in Canon proper. This was a change that I couldn't regret.

Once my current bottle was empty, I took the new bottle from his hand just as Kakashi replied with an equally soft, "Thanks, Dad."

Even with my throat hoarse and my voice shot, I could still find the biggest smile coming over my face.

The hand coming around my shoulders to squeeze, I didn't expect. I glanced over in the direction of where it came from, just to see Miyako-bachan shush me softly with her other hand, smiling wryly. "Save your voice, Tomoko-chan," was the mouthed whisper, and I nodded. There was nothing else I could do. "The match has already started."

The words alone were enough to jumpstart the anxious butterflies in my stomach all over again. If not for my voice being almost totally gone, I wanted to jump out of my seat and run over to the banister of the arena all over again, to cheer for Kei like I did for Obi and Ricchan before. At the same time, Miyako-bachan's grip was a tether leading me away from the dream and back to reality, making me look down at the fight.

Behind me, I could've sworn I heard Mama suck in a breath as Kei blocked what sounded like a _really_ hard kick to her arms from Gai, skidded back, and shouted a loud, "EXPLODE!"

Papa whistled.

As expected, things _exploded_. From the sound alone, it reminded me of the old sound effects from mecha anime, where it was flashy and rather hard to look at. No wonder Miyako-bachan was taking it upon herself to hold me down via side-hug. It had been a long time since the last training session I was allowed to supervise for Team Minato, and well, as you'd expect, I jumped. There were so many things about Kei's life outside of the Cafe that I didn't know much about, so to see so many plumes of _smoke_ go off with a slamming of her hand was something else.

Um.

 **When did she start dabbling in** _ **explosives**_ **?!** Hisako screamed loudly in my place.

I glanced over at Wataru-jichan past Miyako-bachan's shoulders, only to see _sparkles_ and what looked like pride in his eyes, and that was my answer. Plus the proud and quiet, "That's my girl. Go, Kei-chan!"

Yep. Nothing else needed to be said. Family reflects one another, I guess.

 **Ohhhh. So we can blame** _**him**_ **. The sealing dork.**

Inwardly, I gave Hisako a raised eyebrow. _Hey. He's a_ good _sealing dork!_

**I wasn't saying the contrary.**

Gai-kun was launched skyward with that shout and surrounding explosions like Team Rocket, just to _poof_ into smoke and leaves himself. Um. _Replacement Technique_ , _so then, where…_

"Stay calm, Kei-chan, don't rage," was Wataru-jichan's whisper. It was sounding more like a badly-hidden stage whisper than an actual whisper at this point, and when glancing over at him, I had a single second to open my mouth before Miyako-bachan was staring into my head. Yet another signal to chug water again, and no talking.

The empty bottles could go into a recycling bag for later.

I uncapped my newest bottle to drink just as my ears could catch something along the lines of, "At least dodge somewhere _safe_!" from Kei. Along with another explosion. Ow.

"Your concern for your opponent's health does you credit, Keisuke-kun!"

…Was this fighting banter?

 **I say** _**this** _ **makes the anime look dull in comparison.**

 _Um. We're talking about the canon anime, right? With all the filler?_ The _anime that came from the studio that made constant animation errors in model size and etc.?_

 **That's kinda obvious. But don't argue, Tomoko-chan, just drink up your water and** _**watch**_ **.**

Huh. Even in the library, I was getting called out. Not that I didn't deserve it, but why couldn't my voice be better.

I glanced back at the outside world just as Miyako-bachan squeezed my shoulders from the tension. Because in the time I was spacing out to talk with my Nobody, Kei and Gai had just started a fist fight. Literally.

The exchanged blows were already sounding _hard_ from up here in the stands and sending enough _shockwaves_ throughout the arena air to make me shiver. Or was it just me deluding myself? The fact that Kei _and_ Gai had dropped all pretense of smiling didn't help.

It was yet another visible reminder of the life I had forsaken for being a civilian. And to see Kei struggling underneath what was looking like _Gai's leg weights_ in many successive blocks wasn't helping my heart. The butterflies in my stomach were already transforming into angry vultures from the anxiety. Argh.

"Stay calm, Kei-chan. You can do it," was the whisper above my head, and I looked up only to see Miyako-bachan's gaze be focused entirely on the arena below. Oh. She was worried too.

From habit, I opened my mouth. Again, no words came out, only dryness and a frog croak. Miyako-bachan's ever observant stare fell on me again without even needing any prompting, and I simply reached over and patted her nearest free hand. I couldn't talk, but I could at least provide some kind of comfort with the gesture. She was my aunt. Thankfully, judging by the small smile in return, she appreciated it, nudging my shoulder with hers before turning back to the arena.

I turned back too, just to catch what might've been the most…weird and humiliating thing to see in the arena. At least, in Kei's case.

It started with a loud and ugly _CLANG_ of her kodachi against Gai's leg.

 **Ouch,** said Hisako.

And then Gai got through what defense there was and punched Kei in her chest. _On_ her left breast too. Um.

 _ **Ouch**_ **,** Hisako said again, wincing loudly. **That looked like it hurt.**

The vultures immediately wilted as the hot rage and shock started flowing through my veins. Kei's slumped figure and the surrounding silence from the stands didn't help. " _Aaah_ ," was the protesting hoarse cry that left my throat.

Gai had lowered his fists, blinking obliviously. "Keisuke-kun? I appear to have done you a most unyouthful injury."

 _No_ shit _, Gai-kun_ , was the thought that went through my head. _No shit_. It was one of the first times I ever wanted to be a ninja in my entire life. It was one of the few times I wished I could materialize a Keyblade like my Nobody, because I needed to pummel a certain someone. Even if he didn't mean it, punches to the _breast_ hurt. Like, seriously, even back in Vy's day, the amount of violence women could face on a daily basis was _nothing_ to laugh at. This entire thing was already setting off a Button I didn't realize I had.

**Um, dear?**

_Is it bad that I want to punch something, Hisako?_

My Nobody paused. **No. Not at all.** She was grinning.

_What are my odds on pummeling Gai into the ground?_

**…I dunno, dear, ask Kei and your voice box first!** For some reason, she was starting to sound proud.

Nearby, Miyako-bachan put a hand to her mouth. "Oh dear," she said quietly. "This will not end well."

Glancing over in Wataru-jichan's direction had me note down his frozen smile and wide eyes. I didn't even have to look back at Sakumo-jichan and Kakashi for reactions, because the sound of a hand meeting face sounded, and I knew that was my housemate. Mama was caught between a surprised huff and a gasp, and Papa…well…

"He's screwed," Papa deadpanned.

 **He's screwed,** Hisako repeated. **No girl is going to take that standing. Especially Kei.**

It did not take long for Kei to make what looked like _chakra_ scalpels to cover her hands and to aim for Gai's face. He ducked in time to avoid getting his nose sheared off, but now my rage was fading for pure horror and sympathy. Yep. Kei could handle the rage angle. She had herself covered, but I had a feeling the match had quickly turned from " _showing yourself off"_ to " _how dare you aim for that spot out of any other spot, I'm going to freaking kill you._ "

Miyako-bachan sighed against her hand. "Thank goodness Hayate is not here," she muttered.

" _Baaah,"_ was my pitiful way of voicing agreement. In response, she glanced at me through her fingers before lightly bopping me again with my fan, eye already on the water bottle in my hands.

I started drinking again just as Wataru-jichan unfroze. "Doubt Kei-chan is going to leave him standing," was his nonchalant musing, and I glanced at him while still chugging my water. "Though I think Kei-chan will make me go gray first!"

**What.**

_What?_ I fully turned away from the fight to glance in my uncle's direction, putting down the now half-full water bottle. " _Buuuugh?"_ was what left my throat instead. Darn it, voice.

"Wataru," Papa interrupted right next to me with an amused huff, "Don't you already have some gray?"

The response was a laugh and an earnest, "You're not one to talk!" He then paused. "Then again, it's part of the job…"

I glanced at Papa, only to see Mama pull his head in to rustle through his two-toned brown mop of hair. Um.

"Stay still, dear, I brought tweezers."

"Hikari…" Papa didn't visibly protest though, if his relaxed shoulders were any indication.

Miyako-bachan nudged me again, and I kept drinking my water just as Gai-kun was doing his best to dodge Kei's current angry rampage. If I had any better analogy, it was as if he had set her puppy on fire with how _dark_ her face had turned while still swinging at him a la Kakashi's fighting style. At least, it looked like that. Living with Kakashi had its perks, and I could recognize some of his hits. Some of them.

Kei was being a bit more aggressive than Kakashi at the moment, though.

I glanced back at my housemate, and he shrugged helplessly. "And this is why Gai can be a mess," he muttered to me. Sakumo-jichan was glancing at him, but Kakashi shrugged again, and that was that. No further justifications.

**I call Gai being kicked in the groin by the end of this.**

_That_ wasn't expected in the slightest. _Um, Hisako, are you sure about that?_

**I'm absolutely sure.**

_Oooookay…_

Gai-kun was now running back as fast as he could from Kei's slashes with his hands, blocking what he could with his legs. The resulting CLANGS were rather painful to hear, even when sitting far away in the stands. "I am glad to see that your injury has not dampened your enthusiasm, Keisuke-kun, but—!"

"SHUT UP!" she shrieked in response, still aiming for him with her chakra blades, and the image of _Tom and Jerry_ was already coming into mind with this whole thing. If not for the fact that my friends were ninja and not moving animals.

"Oh goodness," Miyako-bachan muttered. "I will have to work with Kei-chan more on meditation after this match."

"You can't blame her, Miyako-chan," Mama spoke up from around Papa's head, because gray hairs were still a thing, "she just got punched in the _chest_. Wouldn't you be angry too?"

Miyako-bachan paused before saying a soft, "Yes," over my head.

"I think we'll have to hold off on telling Hayate this story about Kei-chan, won't we, Miyako-chan?" Wataru-jichan interrupted with a nervous laugh. His tone clearly showed how much he was trying to stay cheery, but from the sight of Kei's rampage, he was just as thrown off. " _Hell hath any woman's scorn,"_ or so Leo and Josh used to say.

"Indeed," Miyako-bachan said, shaking her head all the while, "If we can bank on the rumor mill not reaching the Academy."

"F—"

"Wataru."

"Frig." Wataru-jichan amended instead.

**He could've cursed. We're used to this already with Kei's mouth.**

_We're still eleven to everyone else, Hisako._

**Point!**

In the outside world, Gai-kun had finally stopped running as Kei had dismissed her chakra scalpels-blades — I don't know, I'd have to ask later on those. There was a brief look of horror on her face from what I could see as Gai had stood up straight to stare at her. "Keisuke-kun… was… are you a girl?"

**What the fuck.**

_What the heck?_

" _Nnnnnngyah?"_ was the pitiful and confused noise that left my totaled throat. I wanted to say, "What?" only to end up with that. Gosh darn it.

"Yes, Tomoko," Kakashi deadpanned over Sakumo-jichan and Wataru-jichan's shocked gaping. "Gai just asked that."

Miyako-bachan sighed loudly into her hand.

Nearby, I could've sworn I heard a loud, "KICK HIS ASS, KEI-CHAN! BRING JUSTICE, TTEBANE!" And an additional protest of, " _Kushina!"_

Well, now I knew where Kushina-nee and Minato-san were!

 **Gai fucked up. He dug his own grave worse than** _**you**_ **, dear. And that's saying something.**

I was too in shock to even respond or give a quip back to my Nobody. Hell, for some reason, I couldn't help but thank my lucky stars or Buddha for giving me the common sense to _ask_ about Kei's gender identity in our first meeting. Thank goodness we cleared up that kind of misunderstanding beforehand, because I did _not_ want to be Gai right now. Period.

As crude as Hisako's language was, I couldn't deny Gai messed up.

"…You are literally the last friend I have to realize that," was Kei-chan's flat response. Her voice was huffy from what sounded like adrenaline, but still. Her arms had already fallen to her sides, and that said enough.

"Oh no," Kakashi said dryly, almost as if he was _resigned_ to this. Um, what? "Everyone, duck for cover…"

It did not take long for Gai-kun to explode himself from the revelations at hand. "FORGIVE ME, KEISUKE-CHAN, FOR I HAVE OFFERED YOU UNBELIEVABLE INSULT!"

 **Hey. Gai. Don't know if you can hear me. But. Pointer. Yelling isn't exactly earning you** _ **brownie**_ **points.** Hisako deadpanned, hands over her ears.

Kei-chan was already looking like a stone statue. Tsume-san and her ninken were caught snickering as the stands had gone completely silent, my group of ninja friends and family included.

If not for Miyako-bachan taking it upon herself to go on and cover my ears from the sheer _volume_ of the whole event, I probably would've done it myself. And I had just lost my _voice_ from things like this, how was Gai even _standing_? I still wondered _how_ I could hear him even with Miyako-bachan's makeshift hand-ear-muffs. "FIRST WAS THE TIME WE MET, WHERE I ASSUMED YOU WERE A BOY WITHOUT NOTICING YOUR UNDENIABLE CHARMS!"

_Not that I didn't do the same thing…_

**You still asked nicely before the assumption could spiral into** _**this** _ **shitstorm, dear.**

_Um. I still nearly made a mess of myself while doing it, Hisako?_

**Hey. Even if that event was before I came along. It's still better than** _**this**_ **, dear.**

… _Point._

He was, of course, still going in spite of my current thought process with my Nobody. "THE SECOND WAS WHEN I CHALLENGED MY RIVAL TO A SUMO MATCH IN YOUR PRESENCE."

I glanced at Kakashi as best as I could through Miyako-bachan's grip, already mentally questioning how _that_ happened, just to see him shrug again, face grim from what I could see through his mask. So he was able to hold onto a bunch of water bottles for me, but not extra ear muffs and/or ear plugs to spare him this pain. Ow. Wataru-jichan, Sakumo-jichan, and Papa on the other hand were sharing the same fish-like shock on their faces.

"THE THIRD WAS AT THE PUBLIC BATHHOUSES, WHERE—"

**What the fuck is he going on about—**

Before Hisako could finish, Kei unfroze herself and exhaled. Then she proceeded to launch herself at him mid-rant and slam a foot _right_ into his happy area.

_Ouch. Just, ouch._

**YES! I** _ **CALLED**_ **IT!** Hisako cried loudly in triumph. **WIN BY KICK TO THE PLACE WHERE THE SUN NEVER SHINES!**

_Um. Hisako? That was a bit much._

In response, my Nobody reached out mid-cheer to pat my head sympathetically. In the outside world, I did not miss the collective wince from _every_ single man in the arena, Kakashi, Sakumo-jichan, Wataru-jichan, and Papa all included.

Gai then fell over with the most exaggerated, pained face in existence, hands covering his groin area. Tsume-san barked a laugh just as Kei caught her breath, coming over to raise my reincarnation buddy's hand in the air before any more words could be exchanged. At least she had the instinct to call when things needed to be over.

"Maito Gai is down! The winner of this match, and of this Chunin Exams Finals, is Gekkō Keisuke!"

To no one's surprise, there was silence in the arena. Well, except for me.

"G-Goooooo, Kei-channnnnn…!"

It was a hoarse cheer out of the likes of _hell_ but screw my voice at this point. Someone had to say _something_. I could start awkward moments, so I could damn well stop awkward moments with more awkward moments!

* * *

Kakashi held back yet another sigh as Kei slowly made her way up to the stands and everyone started to file out of the arena.

"That was a messy fight."

"I expected more."

"A groin shot was a really cheap way to end things."

"Can you blame her? He hit her right in the _chest_!"

"I wish I didn't have to hear that rant, though."

Those were the kinds of things he heard as people passed their area to leave. He stayed in his seat though, because _someone else_ was already tempted to get up again, and he had to make sure to stick around so that she _didn't_.

" _A-Aaaaagh."_

"Tomoko-chan. Hydrate yourself, _please_. You do not have to talk anymore."

Miyako-san's voice. Kakashi had a feeling she was just as exasperated, if not more so with the fight's results, but it was hard to tell with how calm she was from the sound of her voice. It was still motherly and caring in _her_ direction as Tomoko went on to chug yet another bottle, still looking green from the fight that had just happened.

Kakashi was already reaching for the sealing scroll where all the water bottles was stored. Another one was needed at this rate, and Tomoko had already gone through _two_. There was another puff of smoke, and then it was resting in his hand as planned. Good. Still. He really should've packed earplugs in the darn scroll. His ears were still ringing.

Kei had just finished climbing the stairs up to where they were when Tomoko jolted. " _Kei,"_ she mouthed softly around her water bottle.

"Congrats on the win," Kakashi said while getting up from his seat, trying not to sigh again. He did _not_ want to think on what had just happened. "How are you feeling?"

"Peachy," Kei deadpanned in return, hands shoved into the pockets of her hoodie, and Kakashi wasn't even surprised at the residual heat in her voice. "Thanks for asking."

"You still did good in not blowing yourself up, Kei-chan!" Wataru-san piped up instead, and Kakashi had half a mind to ask _how_ he was still cheerful at that. Then again… "You won!" He paused. "Cheap shot, but still a good win!"

"It was still _cheap_ , Dad," Kei whined softly, the smile on her face shaky. Miyako-san's glance towards her too seemed to do something in calming her though, because she rolled her shoulders before rubbing the back of her neck. "…Sorry about that."

Miyako-san shook her head, a prouder smile on her face now. "Do not apologize, Kei-chan. We can work together in improving your fighting skills with Minato-san later."

Tomoko in the meantime had turned her head down to face her current half-empty bottle, tipping it back to sip again, this time a bit more hesitant. It was hard to miss how she wasn't looking up to meet Kei's stare in her direction.

Kei blinked before walking over to Tomoko's row, smiling at Hikari-bachan and Judai-jichan along the way. "Tomo."

The civilian girl jolted at the sound of her nickname, but still didn't raise her head. Her bangs were shielding her eyes from everyone's view.

Kakashi politely held his tongue.

"I'm okay, Tomo." This time, Kei smiled a bit more freely, and Kakashi blinked. When did it look so—

The words on the other hand were enough to make Tomoko jolt again, and she looked up with a soft verbal croak. Kei grinned a bit more. "There you are. Hey. Thanks for cheering."

A big smile was already blooming on Tomoko's face as she croaked again, sounding like a feeble cat.

"You don't have to try talking now, Tomo." Kei's hand, scratched as it was, was already glowing with the soft blue of the Diagnostic Jutsu Kakashi had seen so many times on Nohara and other medic nin, raised in the civilian's direction. "I can check it if you want?"

To Kei and Kakashi's shared surprise, Tomoko shook her head, drinking the rest of her current water bottle before putting it in a nearby recycling bag for later disposal. It didn't take long for her to get up, and even from behind, Kakashi could vaguely make out what she was mouthing. Something along the lines of, " _Are you really okay? You got hit really bad,"_ before Tomoko motioned to Kei's chest.

Kei's eyebrows furrowed just as Tomoko finished her "talking," chakra already fading from her outstretched hand. Then she smiled again, a bit more like the Kei Kakashi knew from training. It was teasing, but it still was genuine. "Yep. Luckily, puberty ain't in session yet. Didn't hurt as bad as it might've."

Tomoko blinked and even from his vantage point, Kakashi could make out the uncertainty in her posture as clear as day. " _Mm-muguuuuu_ ," was the strange noise out of her throat this time, and Kakashi blinked as soon as she ducked her head and raised her arms in Kei's direction.

"Uh," Kei said succinctly, blinking. "Tomo-chan?"

A single second of silence passed. Kakashi noted the adults all sharing a single glance between each other before Tomoko opened her mouth. It was a cat hiss from how bad her voice had gone, but everyone heard it in the resulting silence of the almost empty arena. " _H-Hwug. Please."_

Kei finally caught on, based on the minute widening of her eyes. "You were worried?"

Tomoko nodded. Her hands were already shaking.

"Gee," Kei rubbed the back of her neck again, glancing away sheepishly before turning back with a wryer smile. "Welp. Considering what just happened," Kakashi decided not to mention Gai's scent nearby to Kei in favor of letting the two friends have their moment, because it was obvious his "rival" still felt bad, "let me come to you?"

Tomoko was nodding again, as fast as she could actually, before Kei walked a single pace forward. Tomoko's arms finally found some kind of comfort in winding around Kei's waist to squeeze, actually clinging to the back of her hoodie all the while. In response, Kei gave Kakashi a helpless and questioning glance. Judging by her expression, Tomoko was hugging a bit harder than usual.

Kakashi shrugged. He could ignore the nearby camera flash from the adults. "I packed ten water bottles for the occasion. You know how she gets."

Kei snorted quietly. It wasn't a time to comment on anything else either, from the looks of it. "Of course," was the mutter before she relaxed and rested her nose in Tomoko's hair, a hand softly rubbing the girl's back all the while as the other returned the hug fiercely. Kakashi could barely catch Kei's faint murmurs of, "I'm okay, you don't have to worry now, Tomo," amongst the girl's hoarse and muffled whimpers. "I'm okay. We're all okay. You don't have to keep spiraling around from the worry anymore. Thanks for coming."

" _Muuuuu…"_ ("I tried not to," Kakashi guessed. "Your fighting style still worries me.")

"I know, I know, that was a cheap shot. I'll work on it."

" _Mm."_ ("You better.") A pause. " _Uuu."_ ("I love you.")

"I know," Kei accentuated with an extra warm squeeze in return. "Thank you, Tomo."

Kakashi wasn't expecting to hear the additionally quiet, "Thanks, Kakashi," in his direction. He had glanced away only for a second _just_ to hear that, and he turned back to see Kei grin at him from over Tomoko's head.

Huh. That was something. Heh. He shrugged again. It was another day with the Hoshinos, the Gekkōs and his team. As annoying as they could be, he wouldn't trade it for anything else.

 _This is what a family feels like, huh._ Kakashi looked over at Sakumo, just to see him smile softly. He smiled back. _This feels good._

* * *

The Exam results were expected to come in a week, and that was more than enough time to let my voice come back naturally. Kei and Ricchan both insisted on healing me, but after my own cheering? It was my own fault I lost my voice, so I had to reap the consequences. Besides, I was Nagareboshi's pianist, and I still had a job to do aside from baking a cake for Obito…

"Mama, did you finish that yet?"

"I did, Tomoko-chan, you don't need to ask again."

Even with Mama's confidence, I still found myself pacing the stage in the cafe. They were supposed to come sooner or later, results in hand as they themselves said, and they were my best friends in the whole wide world, so then why was I still _nervous_ —

"Tomo-chaaaaaan!"

 _ **There's**_ **our resident, lovable Uchiha prankster.** Hisako said fondly.

Yep. There was Obi.

I didn't even have a chance to blink before something was promptly _colliding_ with me, and I tried not to yelp once it registered that my feet were not on the floor anymore. Also, _ow_. I was somehow in the air, and I blinked before making eye contact with teary black eyes hidden by orange goggles. "Tomo-chan, we passed! WE MADE CHUNIN!"

Oh goodness, it was Obito. And he was crying _and_ carrying me in a sudden carry-hug, wasn't he? The doof. "I-I can see that," I choked out as nicely as I could, because now I couldn't help but get deja-vu of the Uzumaki-patented hug, and I could've sworn that Obito hugged _softer_. Also, the still wrapped _green flak jacket_ swinging from Obito's hands behind my back was hard to miss. "B-But um, Obi. I can't breathe~?!"

"Ack!" My feet landed on the stage again just as Obito hovered over me slightly, face pale. "Sorry if that hurt!"

A giggle left my lips. I missed this. Lost voice included. "I-It's okay, Obi, it's okay." My arms were already going over to pull him into a softer hug. "I missed you too, doof. Congrats on the promotion."

He stilled before hugging back, tightly too. "Thanks, Tomo-chan." His voice cracked. "Thanks."

Oh, Obi. I pulled away to lightly bop him on the head with my hand. "No problem. Just don't cry yet, Obi. It's a little too early for tears when I haven't played my concert or even brought out the promotion gifts!"

"Wait," Obito gaped, his jaw slack on his face. " _Promotion gifts?!"_

**Why is this so surprising.**

"What's this about promotion gifts?"

Yeaaaaah, I shouldn't have been surprised that Kei and Rin were the second ones to come into the cafe, but by that point, my heart was swelling from seeing my _friends_ again, all in one piece. Plus, their holding onto brand new _green_ flak jackets. I couldn't help myself. So, tackle-hug. Lots of tackle-hug.

Kei caught me first while Rin aptly dodged. At this rate, I had to call myself predictable. "H-Hey, Tomo, whoa." Kei was laughing above my head after swinging me around for a few seconds to let the momentum fade. "What brought this on?"

"And why did you have to _run_?" Rin yelped near me. "You lost your voice _last_ week, Tomo-chan!"

I took in a whiff of ink and mochi before pulling away with a brighter smile. "Because I love you all very much and missed you?"

Rin blushed, jaw slack while Kei scoffed, flicking my forehead softly. "You don't have to say it every time, Tomo. We get it. And you just saw us a week ago."

I found myself pouting, because _ow_ , what was that for? "I like saying it though!"

Kei huffed again. "Dork." She was still smiling, not even protesting as I pulled on her hand to bring her into the cafe. "So, what's this about gifts again?"

It was hard to stop the smile blooming on my face. "Promotion gifts! Because you all went through a long exam and deserve something nice. Which begs the question." The pause at this point was more teasing than actual nervousness. "Gifts first, or concert?" I asked instead, as coyly as I could. It felt good to be _talking_ with my friends and not be reduced to incomprehensible noises. "Because I can handle either choice."

Kei blinked. Rin, who trailed behind her, raised a hand and said, "Gifts?" hesitantly.

"I would like to hear about this as well," went Miyako-bachan, and I didn't have to look up to know she was hovering over Kei and Ricchan with a small smile of her own. "What do you have planned, Tomoko-chan?"

"A whole day of celebrations as long as everyone is up for it?"

A single beat passed. _Hey._ My reply was honest. "Sure!" Wataru-jichan spoke up instead, and I glanced over to him only to see Hayate nestled in his arms, waving at me with the biggest and sillest smile on his face. I waved back out of habit, and that he was still cute. "Should I have brought the drinks?"

Miyako-bachan elbowed him again through her yukata sleeve mid-walk. Just like back in the Chunin Exams arena, he deflated. "Okay, maybe not drinks, because the kids are limited on that," he amended with the same bright grin, "But what do you have in mind, Tomoko-chan? Are your folks in this?"

I let go of Kei's hand, much to her visible confusion, to keep smiling. This was going to get good. "Yep! Fashion show!"

Ricchan's jaw was still slack on her face, and my cheery announcement didn't seem to help much. "…Fashion show?"

"Fashion show!"

Hisako picked at the dust under her fingernails before adjusting the brow of her glasses. **Fashion show.**

"Fashion show," Kei repeated dryly. "Tomo, what fashion are you talking—" she stopped as soon as Mama strode into the cafe area with Kakashi and Papa in tow. The new _clothes_ hanging from her hands was enough. "Whoa."

Miyako-bachan strode forward first, hand already reaching out of her lavender yukata sleeve to lightly touch the items on Mama's hands. "Hikari-chan, this is—" she paused, glancing up at Mama to be met with a warm smile. "Did you actually—"

"Kimono dresses," Kakashi deadpanned faster than any of us could comment, "Hikari-bachan meant to surprise you all on them. The girls, anyways." He shrugged his shoulders. "The only kimono in there belongs to the Uchiha."

" _Kakashi."_ Papa lightly bopped him on the top of his spiky silver hair, and Kakashi crossed his arms, looking a bit huffy. Welp, the concert would fix that. I was hoping. "No need to be rude. You'll get one sooner or later."

To my surprise, Kakashi flushed a light pink before turning away again. "Hn," was all he left on the comment.

Papa shrugged himself. "Anyways," he gestured to Mama with extra flourish in his step, more so when pushing Kakashi out of the way for her to talk. Honestly, all he needed at this point was a spotlight and she'd be at center stage. "Hikari, go ahead and talk."

"Thank you, dear," Mama said dryly, smiling with a small twitch in her voice before pulling one of the garments out of her right hand to hold up in her left. The soft green of the top and the blue accents making up the outfit already had me _beaming_ at it. It was so cute…! "Anyways, as congratulations for all of Team Minato making Chunin, Tomoko-chan 'paid' me to make you all outfits of your own!"

"O-Outfits?" Obito was the one gaping now as Ricchan took it upon herself to close her mouth by putting a hand to her jaw and pushing upwards. "F-For us?"

"For the _other_ ninja," Mama interjected dryly, before twirling around and winking, "Of _course_ it's for you three! Kakashi will be getting one with his next promotion, and we're all family already, so why not!" She jumped up once while still holding up the kimono dress that obviously took cues from the new _green_ flak jackets every new Chunin member of Team Minato had that were still in their wrapping. "This one is for Kei-chan!"

Kei proceeded to turn red.

Mama paused before adding, "Dresses don't really fit Obito, so I went with making him a formal kimono instead!" She put down the green-blue dress to instead brandish the navy blue haori and matching black hakama still sitting on their shared coat hanger proudly, beaming all the while. I couldn't help but beam back, because really, Mama overdid herself.

Obito was already turning red too.

 **This is already turning out to be a wonderful idea, dear.** Hisako was smirking. Woo!

"Wait, Hikari-chan?" Wataru-jichan raised a hand. "Doesn't Kei-chan already _have_ a Chunin jacket? What's with the style?"

Mama huffed, putting Obito's piece down to go back to holding up Kei's dress with flourish. "Because furisodes are heavy and Miyako-chan looked like she needed help with dressing Kei-chan up for fancy occasions? Not to mention it goes back to the ninja casual I see around the village way too often. I don't do this just for fun, y'know~! Every single worker in Nagareboshi Cafe, even Tomoko-chan, wear my work!"

**YEP. Anime-inspired and all!**

_I don't regret giving the ideas!_

**I** _**know** _ **you don't!**

Mama went on to grab the single bright sakura pink dress on her right arm to brandish towards my medic friend. It was a nice and pretty pink, accentuated with white hems and the white inner skirt — overall the perfect complement to someone with purple tattoos. Hehe. "This one with the flowers is for Rin-chan! Not too bright to make everyone look away, but good enough to make people pay attention!"

Ricchan, as expected, turned red too. Heheheh. This was a great idea after all.

Best way to give gifts? Surprise! And embarrassment.

…Okay, okay, I always wanted to get back at everyone for the teasing. I could tease too! Muu.

"Hey, hey, Hikari-bachan!" Hayate whined with a raised hand, just like his dad before him, "what about me?"

"When you graduate the Academy, expect one of your own, Hayate~!"

Aaaaand, without skipping a beat, every single person in the area turned to me, probably for more explanation. Kei and Hayate's stares were already a lot to deal with, because it was both Gekkō siblings and Kei's felt like I could burst into flames at any moment. I took a breath to try not to start with my foot in my mouth. To continue the cheeriness, I put a hand in my nearest pocket to find my kitty-shaped wallet, pulling it out and opening it to show them the empty insides. "It took my allowance for the next few months. But I don't regret it!"

Once I smiled, Kakashi put a hand to his face, sighing past his mask.

"Your allowance?" Obito's jaw was already slack enough to where it felt like it was going to hit the ground at the rate it was gaping. " _All_ your allowance, Tomo-chan?"

"All my allowance. Is that a problem?"

**Er, Tomoko-chan…**

Ricchan was the first one to regain any sense of dignity from the looks of it, shaking her head before walking over to me. "B-But Tomo-chan, it's your money, you shouldn't have—"

**Nope.**

"Nope!" I did my best impression of Ruby Rose with the saying, shaking my head while still keeping on my smile. My cheeks were going to hurt soon, but whatever. I could rest later. "No refunds, no buts, no nothing. It's all for you!" I gestured back to Mama. "We have a changing room in the back, so go ahead, try them on! Please! I _insist_!"

Kakashi sighed again. "Here we go," he mumbled.

Mama was still beaming while pushing the two dresses into my aunt's hands. Woo! "Miyako-chan, you can help the girls out with their hair! I left some brushes and accessories in the back!" Without skipping a beat, she turned to Papa, handing him Obito's clothes before nearly skipping over and pushing Obito in his direction. "Judai, you help Obito with his thing!"

Miyako-bachan was finally smiling. "Alright, Hikari-chan. It will be my pleasure."

Kei was still blushing. Awwww. "M-Mom—!"

Ricchan was pink too. This was just cute. So cute. My ninja best friends, _bashful_. Hee hee. "Miyako-san—!"

"Come along, girls," Miyako-bachan said coolly, the dresses not even weighing down her arms as she put a hand on Kei and Ricchan's shoulders to push them towards the designated area. "We cannot leave without accepting their generosity. Hikari-chan has come this far after all." It didn't take long for the three to disappear.

"Welp, it's just me now. Sakumo's upstairs resting from a long week at the Academy…" Papa shrugged his shoulders before grinning at Wataru-jichan. "Hey. Wataru? Feel like helping me out? Hayate, you can pitch in too."

Obi was still slack-jawed. "Wh-Whaaaa?" was his dignified response.

"Yay!" Hayate cried out from Wataru-jichan's arms, just in time with Wataru-jichan's "Sure!"

"Should I pitch in too, Judai-jichan?" Kakashi added in finally, voice quiet.

Papa gave him a glance before nodding. "Sure, if you're good at fashion."

From what I could see of Kakashi, his ears turned a slight pink through his hair. "Sure," he bit out quietly, striding up to Obito to start pushing him towards that same back room. Thank goodness for partitions. There was more than enough privacy. "C'mon, Obito. Don't just stand there like a dolt."

"Hey!" It did not stop Kakashi from successfully leading him along in time to Hayate's excited cheering, just as Wataru-jichan and Papa started up their own small conversation in the back of the group.

**Hehehe.**

"Tomoko?"

I was not expecting to hear my name be called. And by Kakashi of all people, considering he was a bit more quiet than usual today. It took all I had to not jump, but then again, I was on _happy juice_. Lots and lots of happy juice. "Yes?" I couldn't help myself from humming.

The silver-haired ninja simply swiveled his head back halfway, giving me what looked like a half-hearted glare. "That concert better be good."

"What do you take me for?" I couldn't help but skip over to my piano bench, patting my beloved partner with a raised eyebrow. "Of course I'm going to do that!"

A pause. Obito was already walking through the door with Papa and Wataru-jichan, and it was a hit-miss moment. Still, I saw it.

Kakashi actually gave a small _eye-smile_ in my direction before closing the door behind him.

 **Aw. He cares.** Hisako twirled Oblivion in her hands. **That's sweet.**

I fought down the urge to sniffle and wiped at my eyes. _Yeah. Yeah. It is._

An arm reached over to squeeze my shoulders, and I tried not to jolt before looking up into blue eyes. Mama was smiling. "Are you happy, Tomoko-chan?"

I tugged on the familiar pink lace of my Sylveon kimono dress before nodding confidently. "I am, Mama." I leaned against her, resting my head against her chest. "I am."

My friends were home.

* * *

15 minutes was all the silence I had before there was audible shuffling in the back of the cafe.

**Hm. It's supposed to be one clothes change, what's going on back there?**

_No clue._

"Miyako-chan! Judai!" Mama called out towards the back over my head, a hand cupped around her mouth all the while. Since she had made it her duty to keep me company at the piano bench, apparently. Well, she was warm, and she was _Mama_ , so there was no way I could resist. "Are you two done yet?"

"A-Almost there, Hikari!" Papa called out first. Then there was some audible clattering, and a mutter I couldn't make out. It sounded like some kind of bickering, and considering who was in there— " _C'mon_ , Kakashi, get Obito out there first!"

"Alright, Judai-jichan, there's no need to push _that_ hard," was the dry mumble, and then I could hear a loud, " _Go_ , Obito."

"W-Wait a sec, Bakashi—"

The door opened with a loud and rather uncharacteristic SLAM. Then again, this was Kakashi we were talking about.

I held back a squeal.

Obito was handsome. There was no doubt about that, considering his Canon Self. Even if said Self ended up being an evil prick, he was _still_ an Uchiha the fangirls fawned over at times. And with Mama's work on his current person, well, he was definitely going to someone amazing in the next few years. His hair was still spiky, but there was something about some of his front bangs being brushed back to show his forehead that made him cute. With the navy blue haori and black hakama accentuating his movement just right when walking towards us, even when he was being obviously _shy_ , it was still clear as day that he could be a great Uchiha Clan member from _looks_ alone.

 **A good Uchiha member, who** _ **isn't**_ **a self-righteous Canon prick.**

_Yep. No arguments on that._

Hey. Hey. I can admire my friends looking great, okay?

"Ohhhhh, Obi, you look _awesome,_ " I gushed instead. "Mama did great!"

Obito raised one sleeve in the air to glance over himself before taking a seat nearby the piano, his cheeks still pink. "T-Tomo-chan…"

"I knew the colors would fit you!" Mama beamed proudly in his direction, hands on her hips all the while. "With what you've worn around the cafe already, I thought you didn't have a formal kimono, so, there you go! It's all yours now, Obito!"

Obito was tearing up now. "H-Hikari-bachan…!"

"Oh, Obi…" I jumped up from the piano bench to wrap my arms around his neck. "It's okay, it's okay, we wanted to. And besides, I was saving my allowance. So it's more than worth it."

Mama's smile was obvious even when it wasn't pointed in my direction where I could see it. "And Obito, you have a free policy from me. When you outgrow that kimono, you are free to come back to me to have it remade for your adult size. We're family now, aren't we?"

"Hikari-bachan…Tomo-chan…!" Obito was squeezing me back in the hug and my shoulder was getting damp now, but I decided not to mention it. He needed this. He needed some family love. "Th-thank you…!"

I made sure to swivel my head back mid-hug to give Mama a smile in thanks, and in response, she winked before offering a handkerchief.

**Perfect!**

Reaching for the fabric wasn't any trouble. Even in kimono sleeves, they were made out of silk that was easy to slip through, and Mama's work was great in that regard. I could move around without disturbing too much. It didn't take long for me to gently pat Obito's back, making him pull away enough for me to wipe at his face with Mama's offered handkerchief. "You're happy now, right, Obi?"

"Definitely, d-definitely…!" he was stuttering, his eyes were rimmed with a little red, but the bright white grin in my direction was unmistakable. "Isn't that obvious?!"

I bopped him on the head with my free hand, wiping away the last of the tear waterfalls with my other, handkerchief-covered hand. "Of course it is."

Obito grinned just as the door in the back swung open again.

"W-We're here too…!" Ricchan's voice. I looked past Obito's shoulder just as he turned around to look too, and at this point, I couldn't even hold back _any_ squeals now.

Kei and Rin-chan, my two best female friends, were out of the changing room, looking _amazing_. Ricchan was obviously the first standout, because the pink of the sakura blossoms matched her pink cheeks and purple tattoos. The purple headband holding back her bangs and smoothing out her short brown hair was the icing on the cake.

And, and, my reincarnation buddy? Kakashi was shaking his head, his ears red from the sight apparently, but hey. My reincarnation buddy, my _best friend in the whole wide world_ , looked amazing. Kei's dress of the green Konoha jacket mixed with Jounin blues accentuated her femininity in a way that wasn't overbearing, in fact still emphasizing the ninja part of her life in a way I wanted to tackle-hug Mama for. The brushed down mess of her hair was the best part, because for once, it seemed like her hair and Miyako-bachan made a compromise in stuffing it into a small side ponytail on her left side, and gosh. The _Konoha headband_ part of the obi? Genius.

Mama was great. Kei was stunning.

" _Aaaaaaaaaaaah!_ " was the exact noise that left my throat. "Ohmigosh, you two are just—give me a moment." It did not take much energy to jump to my feet and run over for another hug. "You two look amazing!"

Ricchan, again, dodged. Kei-chan, though, caught me yet again, laughing nervously just as we started twirling all over again. Weeeeeee! "T-Tomo-channnnn!" It was hard to miss Miyako-bachan's barely hidden laughter nearby as Kei kept spinning me around. Or Wataru-jichan's loud chortling that was in time with Hayate's happy cheering. Hee hee. Spinning hugs were so much fun!

Wait. Was there a camera flash nearby?

…Nah.

 **Don't worry about it, Tomoko-chan.** Hisako was _still_ smirking.

The squeals were still leaving my mouth, even when my stomach was flipping from all the movement because _spinning_ , whoa, there was so much _spinning_. "Oh, Kei, I love you! You look so _amazing_!" Without skipping a beat, I turned to my medic friend from over Kei's shoulder once the spinning stopped, shaking my head to get the stars back into my head. Kei must've noticed my chakra shaking, because it definitely felt like I would fall over if not for her hanging onto me. "And Ricchan, you're lovely!"

Both girls were already turning pink from what I could see. "T-Tomo-chan, thank you?" Rin squeaked first, but the proud smile on her face was as bright as the sun. "Well, thank _you_ for asking Hikari-bachan for the outfits!"

"Yeah, Tomo," Kei was chuckling now, a bit more naturally, and I pulled back as soon as she let go of my waist. "And uh," she rubbed the back of her head, "thanks for also including shorts."

Yep. She definitely thought about practicality before looks first, at least when it came to clothes.

**Dork.**

_Dork._

**You love her anyways?**

_Isn't that obvious? I love everyone here!_

**Heh. Of course.**

The smile on my face was already stretching my cheeks to the point of no return as I reached over to grab both of their hands, much to Miyako-bachan's visible amusement nearby. "Thank _you all_ for passing! For surviving, for being my friends, and for being here! The concert is going to start now!"

Kei took on a more helpless face. "T-Tomo-chan, you don't have to _pull_ —"

"Just go with it," Kakashi interrupted with a resigned sigh. But the eye-smile there, _oh_. It wasn't a mistake. I was seeing it after all.

**This is what you wanted all this time, huh, Tomoko-chan?**

I couldn't stop smiling once we reached the piano. I made sure to let go of my friends' hands so that they could walk around and pick out chairs of their own. Once everyone was seated, I pulled back the cover shielding the black and white keys and closed my eyes.

_Hope I have enough stamina to match all of Hokago Tea Time. Let's do this!_

The first chord was already coming out naturally as my hands flew across the keys. I couldn't even stop myself from singing the familiar opening theme, even if I didn't have as high of a pitch as Hirasawa Yui herself. Oh well! Improvisation! Dancing was improv in the end!

" _I love you all!_

_It's our never-ending lu-la-la Miracle Sing Time._

_I'll sing, I'll sing, it's the absolute best way to express my love!_

_Even if the composition is clumsy or the lyrics are iffy,_

_I want to convey my soul with all I have!"_

The rocking in my seat wasn't even intentional as I kept up the singing as best as I could in time with the pressed piano keys and winked at Kei as soon as Papa took Mama's hand to start a sudden dance number. Kei's eyes were wide in my direction, but the shaky _happy_ smile on her face was obvious.

Dance party! Concerts meant music, and music meant dance party!

It certainly didn't stop others from joining in. Wataru-jichan was quick on putting Hayate down so he could pull his sister onto the dance floor, taking up Miyako-bachan's hand all the while to start a slow dance. Hayate and Kei? They were trying freestyle, and Kei was trying her best, even when pink and in a skirt. Kakashi was the only sideliner, but his slight bobbing of his head to the beat was enough for me. Mama and Papa were a spectacle of their own, doing things I don't think could've been done if not for Mama's dancing training and Papa's old ninja status.

Oh, Obito and Rin? They were together, dancing somehow. It was obvious to see.

Heck, if I opened my eyes towards a certain corner, I could've sworn I saw a swivel of Sakumo-jichan's long hair. Hehe. Heheheheh.

This was where I wanted to be. And this was a day I wished could never end.

The last bit of the lyrics were already flowing through my heart enough to come out of my throat naturally.

" _I love you, I love you, thanks for loving me too._

_I'll sing, I'll sing, I'll sing again today with all my heart._

_I love you, I love you, thanks for loving me too._

_I'll sing, I'll sing, forever I'll sing with all my love."_

My friends were Chunin. They had made a precious hallmark in their lives, and I was proud to see them through it. Sure, more danger was in the horizon, but I could celebrate with them for now. At this moment, right now, it was time to dance.

We could leave thinking on the next few years leading up to Kannabi for another time. For now, I had an encore in mind. My friends fought long and hard enough to deserve one. And yes. My throat _could_ handle it! Water was a lifesaver!

**Whatever you say, dear!**

_You're not complaining!_

**Nope!**

" _I love you all!"_

It was peaceful. Just like I wanted. A day celebrating before the horrors of war could really settle in, with everyone dancing and laughing in peace. Today would be definitely going down as one of the greatest days of my life, because everyone was smiling genuinely, all in their own ways.

It was more than enough to sate my hard work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: *insert soft curtsy here* The longest chapter I’ve done in the history of S&S so far, and one long in waiting because the quarter system has been especially stressful. There was a lot I wanted to include in here, especially some moments that I felt could’ve been explored in CYB at this part of the arc, but well, that’s what Recursive Fanfiction is for, isn’t it?
> 
> And just in time for the New Year. Hehe. :)
> 
> To Lang and Os. I know you two are reading this. Happy New Year. Thank you for being my best online friends. Here’s to a new year of writing, and for now, I’ll be logging off to write more of CP in time for the countdown and to rest.
> 
> I’ll see you all later, hopefully not bogged down by the sciences in college.


End file.
